WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Nearly 40 percent of all new cancer cases reported worldwide in 2022 may be linked to risk factors that people can reduce or avoid, according to a global analysis covering 36 types of cancer across 185 countries. Published in the journal Nature Medicine, the study shows that lowering exposure to risks such as smoking, certain infections, and alcohol use continues to play a key role in preventing cancer.
Led by researcher Hanna Fink, the study estimated how much of the cancer burden at both global and country levels could be connected to 30 modifiable risk factors. The researchers used cancer case data from 2022 and compared it with information on how common these risk factors were about ten years earlier. They also considered that some people may be exposed to more than one risk factor at the same time.
The authors found that around 7.1 million out of 18.7 million new cancer cases in 2022, or nearly 38 percent, could be linked to preventable risks. This included about 2.7 million cases in women and 4.3 million cases in men. Smoking was the biggest contributor, followed by infections and alcohol use. Cancers of the lung, stomach, and cervix made up almost half of these potentially preventable cases.
Among women worldwide, infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and Helicobacter pylori were the leading risk factors, linked to about 11.5 percent of cancer cases. For men, smoking was the most significant risk, accounting for more than 23 percent of cases.
The study also found clear regional differences. Women in sub-Saharan Africa had the highest share of cancer cases linked to modifiable risk factors, while women in Northern Africa and Western Asia had the lowest. For men, the highest proportion was seen in East Asia, while Latin America and the Caribbean reported much lower levels.
Overall, the findings point to strong opportunities for cancer prevention through measures such as reducing tobacco use, preventing infections, and designing prevention strategies suited to each region. The researchers also noted that cancer data are limited in many low- and middle-income countries, and better data collection would help improve future research and public health policies.
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