Overview
- Researchers estimated about 7.1 million of 18.7 million new cancer cases in 2022 were attributable to 30 modifiable exposures, according to a Nature Medicine study from WHO’s IARC.
- Tobacco remained the leading preventable driver, with alcohol, infections such as HPV and HBV, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, excess weight and inactivity, and occupational carcinogens also prominent.
- Roughly half of preventable cancers were concentrated in lung, stomach and cervical tumors, reflecting links to smoking and polluted air, Helicobacter pylori, and HPV that can be countered through treatment and vaccination.
- Country updates highlighted local burdens and opportunities: Spain estimated 42% of male and 26% of female cancers were preventable; Mexico reports ~96,000 cancer deaths and 200,000 new cases annually; Peru reports 72,827 new cases, 35,934 deaths each year and over 185,000 people living with diagnoses from the past five years.
- WHO experts warn gains from declining tobacco use could be offset by rising cancers linked to obesity and sedentary lifestyles, as national agencies expand vaccination, screening and early-detection services to curb future incidence and mortality.