Four out of 10 cancers could be prevented: The percentage can change'

"In 2022, 7.1 million new cancers were diagnosed worldwide that could have been prevented. That's almost four out of every 10 cases. The data comes from the most comprehensive analysis of preventable tumors, published on Tuesday in Nature Medicine by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The study examines 30 modifiable risk factors in 36 types of cancer across 185 countries,"

"I think many people are still surprised to hear that four out of 10 cancers are preventable, explained Isabelle Soerjomataram, lead researcher of the study, at a press conference last week. Cancer is a disease that impacts many people, and this is a substantial number that indicates that many of them can be avoided, added the head of cancer research at the IARC."

"Smoking is the leading cause of preventable cancers, with 3.3 million cases. It is followed by infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and Helicobacter pylori (2.2 million) and alcohol (700,000 cases). In 2022 alone, 7.1 million of the 18.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed in adults were attributable to the 30 risk factors we examined, the researcher said. This represents 37.8% of the total cancer burden, a very significant proportion, she added."

7.1 million new cancers in 2022 were preventable, representing 37.8% of 18.7 million new adult cancer cases. The analysis assessed 30 modifiable risk factors across 36 cancer types in 185 countries. Smoking accounted for 3.3 million preventable cases, infections such as human papillomavirus and Helicobacter pylori for 2.2 million, and alcohol for 700,000. Preventable cancer burden differs markedly by sex, geography, and tumor type: 45.4% of male cancers (4.3 million) and 29.7% of female cancers (2.7 million) were attributable to the examined risk factors. Prevention requires tailored strategies.

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