A promising fact: 4 out of 10 cancers can be prevented

Some types of cancer can develop beyond our control. This can be due to damage to our DNA as we age, or genetic inheritance that makes us more susceptible to the disease. But according to the World Health Organization (WHO) , the surprising truth is that almost 4 out of 10 cancers are preventable.

And how?

Cancer cases are largely due to preventable causes

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization has examined 30 different factors known to increase the risk of cancer that are preventable. For the statistical analysis, the team analyzed cancer case data from 2022 and data on the 30 risk factors from 185 countries from ten years ago.

The three main contributing factors to the more than 18 million cases of cancer worldwide are identified as follows:

• Cigarette consumption 3.3 million (15 percent),
• Infections 2.3 million (10 percent),
• Alcohol use caused 700,000 (3 percent) cancer cases.

According to the report, lung, stomach and cervical cancers account for almost half of all preventable cancer cases. Lung cancer is most commonly associated with smoking and air pollution, while stomach cancer is linked to Helicobacter pylori infection and cervical cancer to HPV infection. Apart from these, harmful UV rays, obesity, inactivity and air pollution were among the risk factors contributing to cancer.

Knowing preventable risk factors saves lives

These figures show that 37 percent of cancer cases are caused by preventable causes such as infections, lifestyle and environmental factors. In other words, more than seven million cancer cases in 2022 could have been prevented if all these factors were eliminated.

The report is an important opportunity to transform the lives of millions of people. “Finding solutions to preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global burden of cancer,” said Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Vice President of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, Women and Cancer Commision

Each country should prepare its own prevention plan

To look between the lines a bit more, the top three preventable causes of cancer in women living in Europe are smoking, followed by infection and finally obesity. In Sub-Saharan Africa, infections dominate and account for almost 80 percent of preventable cancers in women.

This means that every measure to fight cancers must be tailored to each region.

Fair and inclusive prevention policies needed

Although increasing physical activity, eating a healthy diet, reducing smoking and alcohol consumption are important behavioral changes that we can make as individuals to prevent cancer, unfortunately, they alone are not enough in the fight against cancer on a global scale. This fight can only be successful when individual efforts meet an inclusive and systematic public health strategy.

Indeed, according to Dr. Andre Ilbawi, who heads the World Health Organization’s anti-cancer team, the WHO study shows that concrete steps can be taken to prevent cancer. Ilbawi points to the success of countries that have implemented anti-smoking policies or launched vaccination programs against HPV .

For example, HPV-induced cervical cancer can be largely prevented by vaccination. Making the vaccine free of charge is also an important step in the fight. However, although it has been announced that the vaccine will be free of charge by the end of 2025, the HPV vaccine is still not free in Turkey.

Fotoğraf: Burcu Yıldırım

On the other hand, the expansion of cancer screening programs and tests can enable early intervention before the tumor spreads to other organs. It is known that early detection of breast or colon cancer can prolong survival and improve quality of life. Although screening programs are in place for three different types of cancer in Turkey, research shows that the public does not know how often screening programs should be carried out. It is the responsibility of the authorities to make these screenings and tests accessible to everyone and to raise awareness.

February 4th World Cancer Day reminds us of a difficult but hopeful truth: Some cancer is not destiny. With access to accurate information, equal health care and strong prevention policies, millions of people’s lives can change. That’s why fighting cancer is our shared responsibility.