(TNND) \u2014 A new study from the World Health Organization found that over a third of new cancer cases could be prevented because of their links to lifestyle and environmental factors that can be modified.<\/p>\n
The study<\/a> looked at all new cancer cases in 2022 and estimated that 37% were linked to preventable causes such as tobacco, alcohol, weight, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, and infections.<\/p>\n For men, 45% of cancers were possibly preventable. In women, it was 30%.<\/p>\n \u201cAddressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden,\u201d Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, senior author of the study, said in a WHO news release.<\/p>\n The study looked at 30 preventable causes and pegged tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer, globally responsible for 15% of all new cancer cases.<\/p>\n That was followed by infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (3%).<\/p>\n Three cancer types \u2013 lung, stomach and cervical cancer \u2013 accounted for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases, according to WHO.<\/p>\n Lung cancer was primarily linked to smoking and air pollution.<\/p>\n Stomach cancer was largely attributable to a common stomach infection (Helicobacter pylori<\/a>).<\/p>\n Cervical cancer was overwhelmingly caused by human papillomavirus<\/a>, for which there\u2019s a vaccine.<\/p>\n Dr. Farhad Islami<\/a> of the American Cancer Society said via email that the new WHO estimates are close to those previously put out by his group.<\/p>\n