WHO Report: 40% Cancers Preventable, Lifestyle Changes Key to Fighting Disease

• A joint study by WHO and IARC reveals that 40% of cancers globally are preventable, challenging the notion that cancer is unavoidable.
• The research analyzed 30 modifiable causes of cancer, including tobacco, alcohol, obesity, physical inactivity, air pollution, UV radiation, and nine cancer-causing infections.
• Approximately 7.7 million new cancer cases in 2022 (37%) were linked to preventable factors through healthy lifestyle choices.
• Globally, tobacco is the leading preventable cause (15% of new cancers), followed by infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (8%).
• In India, 37% of cancers (520,000 cases) are preventable, with infections being the primary cause (13.4%), followed by tobacco use.