CPS: Four in 10 Cancer Cases could be Prevented Globally
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Collective Prevention Service (CPS) says up to four in 10 cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The study examines 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation – and for the first time – nine cancer-causing infections.
The analysis estimates that 37% of all new cancer cases in 2022, around 7.1 million cases, were linked to preventable causes. The findings highlight the enormous potential of prevention in reducing the global cancer burden.
Drawing on data from 185 countries and 36 cancer types, the study identifies tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer, globally responsible for 15% of all new cancer cases, followed by infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (3%).
Three cancer types – lung, stomach and cervical cancer – accounted for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases in both men and women, globally.
Lung cancer was primarily linked to smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer was largely attributable to Helicobacter pylori infection, and cervical cancer was overwhelmingly caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
According to the WHO, this is the first global analysis to show how much cancer risk comes from causes we can prevent.
The burden of preventable cancer based on the global study was substantially higher in men than in women, with 45% of new cancer cases in men compared with 30% in women.
The study revealed that in men, smoking accounted for an estimated 23% of all new cancer cases, followed by infections at 9% and alcohol at 4%.
Among women globally, infections accounted for 11% of all new cancer cases, followed by smoking at 6% and high body mass index at 3%.
CPS advises members of the community to consult with their physician to determine prevention strategies. Cancer mortality is reduced when cases are detected and treated early. There are two components of early detection: early diagnosis and screening.
