A major new analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that more than one-third of all cancer cases worldwide are preventable, with lung, stomach, and cervical cancers accounting for nearly half of those avoidable diagnoses.
Published in Nature Medicine, the study estimates that in 2022, nearly 19 million new cancer cases occurred globally. Of these, approximately 38% (about 7.2 million) were linked to 30 modifiable risk factors.
The top preventable causes include:
– Tobacco smoking (leading factor, responsible for 15% of all cases globally and 23% in men)
– Alcohol consumption (3.2%, or roughly 700,000 cases)
– Air pollution (significant regional contributor, especially to lung cancer)
– High body mass index, low physical activity, smokeless tobacco, areca nut use, suboptimal breastfeeding, ultraviolet radiation, infectious agents (especially HPV for cervical cancer), and various occupational exposures
Tobacco smoking remains the single largest preventable cause, while alcohol ranks second among behavioral risks. Infections accounted for about 10% of cases, with high-risk HPV driving a substantial share of cervical cancer in women.
Regional variations were notable: in East Asia, air pollution contributed to around 15% of female lung cancer cases, while in Northern Africa and Western Asia it accounted for about 20% of male lung cancer cases.
“Addressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden,” said Isabelle Soerjomataram, medical epidemiologist at WHO and senior author of the analysis.
The findings highlight the critical role of public health interventions, including:
– Tobacco control measures
– HPV vaccination programs (still with low global coverage)
– Alcohol reduction campaigns
– Improved sanitation and clean water access (to reduce infection-related stomach cancers)
– Air quality improvements and occupational safety regulations
Co-author André Ilbawi, WHO Team Lead for Cancer Control, emphasized the value of country and population-specific data:
“By examining patterns across countries and population groups, we can provide governments and individuals with more specific information to help prevent many cancer cases before they start.”
The WHO report underscores that millions of lives could be saved annually through targeted prevention, early detection, and lifestyle and environmental changes making cancer prevention one of the most impactful public health strategies available today.
