Within the study, 30 preventable risk factors were examined, including smoking, alcohol consumption, high body weight, lack of physical activity, air pollution, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
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Experts estimated that in 2022, approximately 7.1 million new cancer cases—37%—were caused by preventable factors. The authors of the study emphasize the significant potential of preventive measures to reduce global cancer incidence.
The most common preventable cause of cancer remains tobacco smoking, accounting for 15% of new cases. Infections rank second, causing 10% of new diagnoses, while alcohol is responsible for three percent of cases.
Nearly half of all preventable cancer cases worldwide are associated with three main forms of the disease: lung cancer, stomach cancer, and cervical cancer.
Lung cancer is primarily caused by smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer by Helicobacter pylori infection, and cervical cancer by the human papillomavirus.
The study also demonstrated differences between men and women: among men, preventable factors account for 45% of new cases, while among women, this figure is 30%.
For men, the main risk factors remain smoking, infections, and alcohol, whereas for women, they are infections, smoking, and high body mass index.
Regional differences in preventability were also significant. Among women, the share of preventable cases ranged from 24% in North Africa and Western Asia to 38% in countries south of the Sahara. For men, the figures varied from 28% in Latin America and the Caribbean to 57% in East Asia. These differences are attributed to varying levels of exposure to behavioral, environmental, and infectious factors, as well as socio-economic development factors and national health policies.
The authors of the study emphasize the need to develop effective preventive strategies that take local conditions into account. This may include regulating the sale of tobacco and alcohol, vaccination against HPV and hepatitis B, improving air quality, enhancing workplace safety, and promoting healthy eating and physical activity.
