Thursday, February 5, 2026 - A global analysis released this week by the World Health Organization says that up to four in every ten new cancer cases worldwide could be prevented through behavioural change, stronger public policies and effective public health action.
The findings were published to coincide with World Cancer
Day on February 4, 2026, and are based on a study in Nature Medicine that
analysed data from 185 countries and 36 different cancer types.
According to the report, approximately 37 per cent of the
18.7 million new cancer cases recorded in 2022 were linked to modifiable risk
factors, including tobacco use, infections and lifestyle-related environmental
exposures.
“The science is clear,” said Maria Neira, Director of
Environment, Climate Change and Health at the WHO. “A large portion of cancers,
particularly those related to tobacco, infections and unhealthy environments,
are not inevitable. They are preventable.”
The report identified tobacco as the single largest
preventable cause of cancer, accounting for about 15 per cent of new cases
globally. Other major contributors include infectious agents such as human
papillomavirus and Helicobacter pylori, which together are responsible for
roughly 10 per cent of cancer cases worldwide.
“Smoking and infection-associated cancers continue to take
an enormous toll,” said Elisabete Weiderpass, Director of the International
Agency for Research on Cancer. “Effective prevention is not only possible, it
must be prioritised.”
The analysis highlighted cervical cancer as one of the
clearest examples of preventable disease, noting that it is overwhelmingly
caused by HPV, for which safe and effective vaccines are available.
Similarly, cancers linked to Helicobacter pylori infection,
which can be prevented or treated through improved sanitation, early detection
and medical screening, were also prominent in the findings.
“We are at a moment where public health interventions, such
as HPV vaccination, tobacco control measures, and healthier environmental
policies, could save millions of lives,” Weiderpass said.
The report also found marked differences in preventable
cancer burdens across regions and between sexes. In men, around 45 per cent of
cancers were attributed to modifiable risk factors, while in women the figure
stood at approximately 30 per cent.
Regional variations were also observed, with East Asia,
Latin America, North Africa and West Asia each showing distinct patterns of
preventable cancer risk linked to lifestyle, environmental exposure and access
to preventive care.
“These differences reflect variation in lifestyles,
environmental exposures, and access to preventive care,” Neira said. “This is
why tailored, locally relevant strategies are essential.”
The WHO urged governments and health systems to scale up
proven prevention measures, including tobacco taxation, public smoking bans,
vaccination programmes and improvements in air quality.
“We must shift the focus upstream,” Neira said. “Investing
in prevention not only saves lives but reduces long-term health costs and
strengthens resilient health systems.”
The report concluded that while cancer remains a major
global health challenge, nearly four in every ten cases could be avoided
through coordinated public health action, strong political commitment and
sustained community engagement.
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