Surprising figure: millions of cancer cases are preventable
A new study in The Lancet Oncology reveals that 2.3 million new cancer cases in 2024, 12% of all diagnoses, are linked to preventable or treatable infections. Helicobacter pylori and HPV are responsible for over 1.5 million cases. Researchers emphasize that effective prevention measures exist.
A new study published in The Lancet Oncology reveals that 2.3 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2024, representing 12% of all diagnoses, are linked to infections that could have been prevented or treated. Two infections stand out: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), primarily associated with stomach cancer, and the human papillomavirus (HPV), primarily associated with cervical cancer. Together, these infections account for over 1.5 million cases. Other significant contributors include hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and HIV. The researchers note that effective prevention measures exist for four of the five leading infectious causes of cancer, as well as for HIV. The study reveals that low- and middle-income countries accounted for 77% of all infection-attributable cases, reflecting disparities in access to vaccines, screening, and treatments. Gary Clifford, the study's senior author, said: "We can intervene before it gets close to cancer. We just need the politics, funding, and agreement from the public and media to implement the programs. Prevention works."