WHO Reveals Some Cancer Cases Can Actually Be Prevented, What Are They?

JAKARTA - Based on the analysis of the World Health Organization (WHO) with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there are several cases of cancer worldwide that can actually be prevented.

Through the analysis it is estimated that 37 percent of all new cancer cases in 2022, about 7.1 million cases, have preventable causes. These findings highlight the enormous potential for prevention in reducing the global cancer burden.

The study identified tobacco as the leading cause of preventable cancer, globally responsible for 15 percent of all cancer cases, followed by infections at 10 percent, and alcohol consumption at 3 percent.

The three types of cancer that can be prevented from these causes are lung, stomach, and cervical cancer. These three cancers account for half of all preventable cancer cases in men and women globally.

Lung cancer is mainly caused by smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer is largely caused by Helocobacter pylori infection, and cervical cancer is largely caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

"This is the first global analysis showing how much cancer risk comes from preventable causes," said WHO's Team Leader for Cancer Control and author of the study, Dr. Andre Ilbawi, quoted from the WHO website, on Thursday, February 5, 2026.

The burden of substantially preventable cancers is higher in men than in women, with 45 per cent of new cancer cases in men compared with 30 per cent in women.

"This important study is a comprehensive assessment of preventable cancers worldwide, combining for the first time the causes of cancer infections together with behavioral, environmental, and occupational risks," explained Deputy Head of the IARC Cancer Surveillance Unit and senior author of the study, Dr. Isabelle Soejomataram.

This finding also further emphasizes the need for context-specific prevention strategies that include measures to control the actual preventable causes of cancer. This must be done so that the burden of cancer globally can be significantly reduced.

Starting from strong tobacco control, alcohol regulation, vaccination against cancer-causing infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B, improved air quality, safer workplaces, and healthier food and environments for physical activity.