The World Health Organisation says up to four in every ten new cancer cases worldwide could be prevented through changes in behaviour, stronger policies and effective public health action. The findings were released on Tuesday to mark World Cancer Day, February 4, 2026.
The analysis, based on a Nature Medicine study covering 185 countries and 36 cancer types, found that about 37 percent of the 18.7 million new cancer cases recorded in 2022 were linked to modifiable risk factors, including tobacco use, infections and lifestyle exposures.
According to the WHO, tobacco remains the single largest preventable cause of cancer, accounting for around 15 percent of new cases globally, while infections such as human papillomavirus and Helicobacter pylori together account for about 10 percent.
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The report also found regional and gender differences, with about 45 percent of cancers in men and around 30 percent in women linked to preventable factors, as the WHO called on governments to scale up vaccination, tobacco control and environmental health measures.
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