WHO SAYS NEARLY HALF OF CANCER CASES ARE PREVENTABLE
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Nearly four in 10 cancer cases worldwide are associated with risk factors that can be prevented, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned, noting that stronger investment in prevention could save millions of lives.
The WHO disclosed this on Tuesday in a statement releasing a new global analysis carried out with its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), ahead of World Cancer Day marked on February 4.
The report revealed that about 37 per cent of all new cancer cases diagnosed in 2022 — roughly 7.1 million cases — were linked to avoidable factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation and cancer-causing infections.
Describing the findings as a major wake-up call, WHO Team Lead for Cancer Control, Dr André Ilbawi, said the analysis clearly demonstrates that many cancers are not unavoidable.
According to him, the study is the first of its kind at a global scale to show how much cancer risk stems from preventable causes, providing governments and individuals with practical evidence to stop many cancers before they develop.
Based on data from 185 countries and covering 36 cancer types, the study identified tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer worldwide, accounting for 15 per cent of new cases. Infections followed at 10 per cent, while alcohol consumption contributed three per cent.
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Ilbawi said the figures point to areas where policy interventions could yield the greatest impact, stressing that tackling tobacco use, infections and alcohol consumption alone could significantly reduce the global cancer burden.
The report further showed that lung, stomach and cervical cancers together made up nearly half of all preventable cancer cases globally. Lung cancer was mainly linked to smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer to Helicobacter pylori infection, and cervical cancer almost entirely to human papillomavirus.
Ilbawi noted that the findings reaffirm the importance of vaccines, clean air and healthier lifestyles as powerful tools for cancer prevention.
The burden of preventable cancer was found to be higher among men than women. While 45 per cent of new cancer cases in men were associated with preventable causes, the figure stood at 30 per cent for women.
Among men, smoking accounted for 23 per cent of new cancer cases, followed by infections and alcohol consumption. Among women, infections were the leading preventable cause, followed by smoking and high body mass index.
Deputy Head of the IARC Cancer Surveillance Unit and senior author of the study, Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, said the findings highlight the urgent need for prevention-driven policies.
She described the analysis as evidence that addressing preventable causes remains one of the most effective ways to reduce the global cancer burden, stressing that prevention is essential, not optional.
Soerjomataram added that cancer prevention must extend beyond the health sector, calling for strong tobacco control, alcohol regulation, vaccination programmes, cleaner air, safer workplaces and healthier food environments.
The report also identified significant regional differences. Among women, preventable cancer cases ranged from 24 per cent in North Africa and West Asia to 38 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa. Among men, East Asia recorded the highest burden at 57 per cent.
According to the WHO, these variations reflect differences in exposure to risk factors, national prevention strategies and the capacity of health systems.
The organisation called for coordinated global action, noting that cancer prevention would not only save lives but also lower long-term healthcare costs and improve overall population wellbeing.
“Cancer prevention is a shared responsibility,” Ilbawi said, adding that early government action could spare millions of families the physical, emotional and financial toll of a cancer diagnosis.
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