Four in ten cancer cases could be prevented globally

Up to four in ten cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The study examines 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation and – for the first time – nine cancer-causing infections.

Released ahead of World Cancer Day – 4 February – the analysis estimates that 37% of all new cancer cases in 2022, around 7.1 million cases, were linked to preventable causes. The findings highlight the enormous potential of prevention to reduce the global cancer burden.

Fink H, Langselius O, Vignat J, Rumgay H, Rehm J, Martinez RX, et al.
Global and regional cancer burden attributable to modifiable risk factors to inform prevention
Nat Med. Published online 3 February 2026;
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04219-7

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