Many people fear cancer and want to know what they can do to prevent it. In some cases, genetics, random mutations, or environmental factors are to blame, making it difficult to avoid a diagnosis. A paper published yesterday in The Lancet Oncologyhowever, draws attention to a preventable cause of cancer: infections.
“An estimated 2.3 million new cancer cases were attributable to infections worldwide in 2024, equivalent to 12% of all cancer cases,” wrote the authors, led by researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France. “Our results highlight the importance of infection control to achieve cancer prevention. »
H pylori, HPV is responsible for the majority of cancers
Using data from the Global Cancer Observatory’s Cancer Today (GLOBOCAN) database on cancer incidence in 2024, scientists estimated the number of cancers caused by any of 12 pathogens considered Group 1 carcinogens. These include:
- Helicobacter pylori (H pylori)
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
- Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
- Herpesvirus associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma
- Schistosoma hematobium
- Human T-cell lymphotropic virus
- Opisthorchis raccoon
- Clonorchis sinensis
- Merkel cell polyomavirus
- HIV
These infectious diseases contributed to an estimated 2.3 million new cancer diagnoses in 2024. H pylori and HPV were responsible for the largest share of cases, each causing 4%. EBV was responsible for 1% of cancers, while HCV contributed to less than 1%. Low- and middle-income countries reported three-quarters of all cancers linked to infectious diseases.
Our results highlight the importance of infection control to achieve cancer prevention.
Vaccines exist for HPV And HBV and have been shown to reduce cancer. The authors recommend the development of new vaccines against other infectious agents, such as EBV, H pyloriand Kaposi’s sarcoma, to reduce the number of cancers caused by these pathogens. But they note that, in some cases, prevention measures already exist and should be better implemented.
“Global and local prevention efforts are therefore a matter of equity and must be considered in promoting universal prevention strategies,” they write.
Gn Health
