Nearly 40% of global cancer cases are linked to three major modifiable risk factors: tobacco (15% of new cases), infections (10%), and alcohol consumption (3%), according to a new study published in Nature Medicine. Overall, 7.1 million cancer diagnoses in 2022 were linked to 30 modifiable risk factors, the research found.
Conducted by the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the study analyzed global cancer data across 185 countries, matching it with exposure data for 30 risk factors. Lung, stomach, and cervical cancers accounted for nearly half of the cases linked to modifiable risks, with many connected to viruses and bacteria including the human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, and Helicobacter pylori. Cervical and throat cancers are directly linked to HPV and can be prevented by HPV vaccination.
The analysis revealed that cancer risk varies by gender and geography. Environmental factors are key, with researchers noting that 45% of new cancers could be prevented in men and 30% in women. Study author Hanna Fink stated, “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 include tobacco smoking, infections, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, and others.
Prevention Strategies
The IARC offers several recommendations to minimize cancer risk: do not smoke and seek help to quit if currently smoking; keep alcohol intake as low as possible, as “there is no safe level of alcohol for cancer risk”; aim for a healthy body weight with a balanced diet and regular physical activity; and take advantage of vaccines, especially HPV vaccination for young people and hepatitis B vaccination.
The researchers recommend that stronger prevention strategies targeting tobacco use, infections, unhealthy body weight, and alcohol use could substantially reduce global cancer cases. Fink emphasized, “Governments and communities play a crucial role by making healthy choices easier, for example, through higher tobacco and alcohol taxes, smoke-free policies, clear health warnings, safer workplaces, cleaner air, and affordable access to vaccination and screening.”
The study had limitations, as researchers often used data from around 2012 due to the long delay between exposure and cancer development. The study also only looked at 30 risk factors with the strongest evidence and global data. “Our estimate of ‘almost 40% of cancers are preventable’ is very likely conservative,” Fink noted.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.foxnews.com/health/nearly-40-cancers-can-prevented-3-lifestyle-changes-study-finds