Almost 50% of Preventable Cancers Linked to Just Two Lifestyle Habits
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- A recent World Health Organization (WHO) analysis reveals that over one-third (38%) of global cancer cases in 2022 were preventable through changes in behavior, medical intervention, and reducing environmental and occupational risks.
- Lung, stomach, and cervical cancers account for nearly half of these preventable cases, with tobacco smoking being the leading risk factor linked to 15% of all cancers, particularly affecting men.
- Other significant preventable factors include alcohol consumption (3.2% of cases), air pollution, infectious agents such as high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), and poor sanitation contributing to stomach cancer.
- The study emphasizes that nearly 4 in 10 cancer cases worldwide could be avoided by eliminating exposure to identified risk factors, underscoring the need for sustained political commitment and targeted prevention strategies.
- Published in Nature Medicine, this comprehensive analysis is the first to incorporate infectious causes alongside behavioral and environmental risks, providing critical data to guide global cancer prevention efforts.