Nearly four out of every 10 cancer cases globally could be prevented if people avoided a range of risk factors, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday (Feb 3).
These include smoking, drinking, air pollution and certain infections.
It is estimated that 38 per cent of all new cancer cases worldwide in 2022, which amount to about 7.1 million, were linked to preventable causes, according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine on the eve of World Cancer Day (Feb 4).
A team of researchers, including the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, looked at 30 factors that increase one’s risk of developing cancer.
Tobacco was the leading cause, responsible for 15 per cent of all new cancer cases, followed by cancer-causing infections (10 per cent) and drinking alcohol (three per cent), the study found.
Risk factors also include being overweight, lacking exercise, UV radiation and being exposed to threats such as asbestos while working.
“This is the first global analysis to show how much cancer risk comes from causes we can prevent,” said senior study author Andre Ilbawi, the WHO’s team lead for cancer control.
Nearly half of all the preventable cases involve lung, stomach or cervical cancer.
While lung cancer was linked to smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer was largely linked to a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori.
Cervical cancer cases were overwhelmingly caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), which vaccines are effective against.
The study also found that men were far more likely to get preventable cancer as they made up 45 per cent of new cases, while women made up 30 per cent.
Nearly a quarter of all preventable cancer cases among men were caused by smoking, as compared to 6 per cent for women.
To combat these cancer risk factors, the researchers called for countries to adopt strong tobacco control measures and alcohol regulation, vaccinate against common infections such as HPV and hepatitis B, improve air quality and ensure safer workplaces, and for people to adopt healthier diets and be more physically active.
“Addressing preventable risk factors not only reduces cancer incidence but also lowers long-term health-care costs while improving population health and well-being,” said the WHO.
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Cancer in Singapore
Between 2019 and 2023, 244 people were diagnosed with cancer in Singapore per 100,000 people, according to the 2023 Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report.
Seventeen people died of the disease every day during that period, said the Singapore Cancer Society, adding that one in four Singapore residents is at risk of getting cancer by 75.
The report found that the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males from 2019 to 2023 was prostate cancer, which affected 8,114 men.
Women were most commonly diagnosed with breast cancer during this period, with 13,935 women being affected.
Colorectal and lung cancers were the second and third most diagnosed in both men and women from 2019 to 2023, the report said.
In Singapore, lung, colorectal and liver cancers were responsible for most cancer deaths in males.
Meanwhile, breast, colorectal and lung cancers accounted for the most cancer deaths among women and girls.
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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
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