Geneva: Europe and the Arabs

A new global study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has revealed that up to four out of every ten cancer cases worldwide could have been prevented.

According to the new analysis, released Tuesday ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4, 37% of all new cancer cases in 2022—more than seven million cases—were linked to preventable causes.

As reported in the UN Daily News, the study examined 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index (BMI), physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and, for the first time, nine cancer-causing infections.

Based on data collected on 36 types of cancer in 185 countries, the study identified the following:

Tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer worldwide, responsible for 15% of all new cancer cases.

Infections (10%).

Alcohol consumption (3%). The disparity in numbers between men and women

According to the study, three types of cancer—lung, stomach, and cervical—accounted for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases in both men and women globally.

The burden of preventable cancer was significantly higher in men than in women. The findings were as follows:

Men accounted for 45% of new cancer cases compared to 30% in women.

In men, smoking accounted for approximately 23% of all new cancer cases, followed by infections at 9% and alcohol at 4%.

In women globally, infections accounted for 11% of all new cancer cases, followed by smoking at 6% and high body mass index at 3%.

Dr. André Albaoui, head of the WHO's cancer team and lead author of the study, said, "This is the first global analysis to show the extent to which cancer risk stems from preventable causes." He added that by examining patterns prevalent across countries and population groups, governments and individuals can be provided with more specific information to help prevent many cancers before they begin.