Nearly Half of Cancer Cases Linked to Preventable Risk Factors, Global Study Reveals

Nearly 40% of global cancer cases could be avoided by eliminating three major risk factors, according to groundbreaking research published this week in Nature Medicine. The study found that tobacco (15% of new cases), infections (10%), and alcohol consumption (3%) are the leading preventable causes of cancer worldwide.

“The key here is that almost half of all cancers could be prevented by behavioral changes,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News Digital senior medical analyst, explained in response to the findings.

The comprehensive study, conducted by the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), analyzed cancer data across 185 countries and identified a staggering 7.1 million cancer diagnoses in 2022 that were linked to 30 modifiable risk factors.

Lung, stomach and cervical cancers accounted for nearly half of the cases connected to modifiable risks. Many of these cancers are linked to viruses and bacteria, including human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, and Helicobacter pylori, a common bacterium that infects the stomach lining.

“Preventable cancers of the cervix and throat are directly linked to the HPV virus and can be prevented by the HPV vaccine,” noted Dr. Siegel, who was not involved in the research.

The study found notable gender differences in preventable cancers, with 45% of new cases preventable in men compared to 30% in women. Environmental factors also play a significant role, with geographic variations impacting cancer rates differently around the world.

Hanna Fink, a study author from the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC/WHO, emphasized the main takeaway: “Almost four in 10 new cancer cases worldwide, which represent 7.1 million lives that don’t need to be changed by a cancer diagnosis, were linked to things we can change or modify through awareness and public-health action.”

These modifiable risk factors extend beyond tobacco, infections, and alcohol to include excess body weight, air pollution, and ultraviolet radiation exposure.

The researchers recommend implementing stronger prevention strategies targeting these key risk factors to substantially reduce the global cancer burden. “The study reinforces that cancer prevention works, and action is most effective at the population level,” Fink said.

Government and community initiatives can make significant impacts through policies such as higher tobacco and alcohol taxes, smoke-free policies, clear health warnings, safer workplaces, cleaner air, and affordable access to vaccination and screening services.

Prevention Recommendations

The AIRC offers specific recommendations to minimize cancer risk:

• Avoid smoking, and seek help to quit if you currently smoke
• Keep alcohol intake as low as possible, noting “there is no safe level of alcohol for cancer risk”
• Maintain a healthy body weight through balanced diet and regular physical activity
• Increase movement and reduce sedentary time, as even small amounts of daily activity help
• Take advantage of vaccines, particularly HPV vaccination for young people and hepatitis B vaccination

Dr. Chris Scuderi, a cancer survivor and Florida-based family physician, emphasized the importance of daily habits in cancer prevention. His key recommendations include daily exercise, consistent sleep, a Mediterranean-style diet, regular medical check-ups, and sufficient rest.

“Small daily wins add up to make a powerful difference over time,” said Dr. Scuderi, who also stressed the importance of routine screenings.

Study Limitations

The researchers acknowledged several limitations in their analysis. Much of the data used came from around 2012 due to the typical delay between exposure and cancer development, potentially not reflecting the most recent behaviors or environmental conditions.

“This is a necessary simplification, because in reality, latency can be longer or shorter depending on the cancer and the exposure,” Fink explained.

Dr. Siegel pointed out that cancer types vary significantly by geographic region. For example, stomach cancer is more prevalent in Asia, and the relationships between risk factors and cancer rates can differ between countries, populations, and time periods.

Data quality also varies globally, with weaker information available from low- and middle-income countries. Additionally, the study only examined 30 risk factors with the strongest evidence and global data availability.

“Our estimate of ‘almost 40% of cancers are preventable’ is very likely conservative,” Fink concluded. “Some other suspected causes, such as certain aspects of diet, could not be included because the science or the data are not yet robust enough at a global level.”