A new global study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer has revealed that it is possible to prevent up to 4 in 10 cases of cancer worldwide. According to the analysis, timed for World Cancer Day (February 4), it was found that 37% of new cases registered in 2022 — more than 7 million cases — are due to preventable causes and risk factors. The study included 30 key factors, the most prominent of which are: tobacco, alcohol, high body mass, lack of physical activity, and air pollution, in addition to nine types of cancer-causing infections that were listed for the first time. The results showed that the preventable cancer burden is higher in men than in women: 45% for men (smoking is the leading cause at 23%), compared to 30% for women (infections are the leading cause at 11%, followed by smoking at 6%). Dr. André Ilbawi, head of the WHO's cancer program, explained that this analysis is the first of its kind globally to determine the extent of the link between cancer risk and modifiable factors, noting that understanding these patterns gives governments and individuals effective tools for preventing the disease before it appears.
