Four in ten cancers are preventable, says WHO

A new analysis, released ahead of World Cancer Day, finds that vaccinating against the human papillomavirus is one major way to make a dent in overall cancer rates.

3 February 2026
3 min read
by Priya Joi
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<article> <h1> <span>Four in ten cancers are preventable, says WHO</span> </h1> <div> <div><p>A new analysis, released ahead of World Cancer Day, finds that vaccinating against the human papillomavirus is one major way to make a dent in overall cancer rates.</p></div> </div> <ul> <li> <b>3 February 2026</b> </li> <li> <b class="me-2">by</b> <span> <a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/authors/priya-joi" hreflang="en">Priya Joi</a> </span> </li> </ul> <figure> <img src="https://www.gavi.org/sites/default/files/vaccineswork/2026/header/RS60860_1H1A3075_h1.jpg" width="1080" height="720" alt="HPV vaccine. Gavi/2025/Wilson Photographer" loading="lazy"> <figcaption>HPV vaccine. Gavi/2025/Wilson Photographer</figcaption> </figure> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <p> </p><div><h4>At a glance</h4><ul><li>7.1 million of the 18.7 million cancer cases recorded worldwide in 2022 were preventable, says the new report.</li><li>Preventable risk factors include environmental pollutants, lifestyle choices like smoking or alcohol, and, for the first time in this report, infections like the human papillomavirus (HPV).</li><li>Vaccinating against HPV, responsible for almost all cervical cancers, has the potential to massively dent rates of preventable cancer.</li></ul></div><p>World Cancer Day lands with a clear message: a huge share of the world’s cancer burden could be reduced by eliminating risk factors such as alcohol and smoking, as well as vaccinating against infectious causes of cancer such as HPV.</p><p>A new <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04219-7">analysis</a> by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Agency for Research for Cancer (IARC) estimates that 7.1 million of the 18.7 million cancer cases in 2022 were caused by 30 preventable risk factors including – for the first time in this report – infectious causes.</p><p>Depending on where people live, up to 38.2% of cancers in women and 57.2% in men were linked to these preventable exposures, with lung, stomach and cervical cancers together making up nearly half of all potentially avoidable cases.</p><blockquote><h2>In women, infections were the leading cause of preventable cancers in most countries, outstripping smoking and excess weight. The largest share of preventable cancers was linked to HPV.</h2></blockquote><p>According to the latest estimates, there were over 20 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million cancer deaths in 2022, with projections indicating a 50% increase in new cases by 2040 if current trends persist.</p><h3>Infections included for the first time</h3><p>The report groups cancer causes into behavioural, environmental, occupational and infectious risks. The infectious component is notable.</p><p>Three cancers – cervical, stomach and lung – made up half of preventable cancers, and two of those have infectious causes. Almost all cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and most cases of stomach cancer by infections such as <em>Helicobacter pylori</em>.</p><p>In women, infections were the leading cause of preventable cancers in most countries, outstripping smoking and excess weight. The largest share of preventable cancers was linked to HPV.</p><div><h4>Have you read?</h4><ul><li><a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/new-study-validates-previous-conclusions-supporting-single-dose-hpv-vaccination" title="New study validates previous conclusions supporting a single-dose HPV vaccination schedule" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="227ba287-979b-4ab0-be17-16fcfc4f7b45" data-entity-substitution="canonical">New study validates previous conclusions supporting a single-dose HPV vaccination schedule</a></li><li><a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/200-girls-six-countries-one-trophy-and-one-big-goal-kick-out-hpv" title="200 girls, six countries, one trophy and one big goal: kick out HPV" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="cab8c77a-4c48-48a3-b6a2-23817a0eaabe" data-entity-substitution="canonical">200 girls, six countries, one trophy and one big goal: kick out HPV</a></li></ul></div><p>In men, smoking (causing lung cancer), still dominates, but infections remain major contributors, particularly through liver and stomach cancers linked to hepatitis viruses and <em>Helicobacter pylori</em>.</p><p>Bringing infections into the same frame as tobacco or air pollution could reframe what cancer prevention might look like, emphasing that screening and vaccines like the HPV vaccine are key tools for cutting future cancer cases.</p><h3>Increasing HPV vaccine coverage</h3><p>Globally, there were an <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer">estimated</a> 660,000 cases of cervical cancer in 2022, and the burden falls hardest on women in low- and middle-income countries. Ninety-four percent of the annual 350,000 cervical cancer deaths happen in these countries.</p><p>HPV vaccines can block infection with the virus types that cause the majority of cervical cancers, and HPV-based screening can catch precancerous changes early.</p><p>Given that the majority of cancers are preventable, the authors say their findings “reinforce the call for effective cancer prevention, which requires sustained political commitment and investment” to eliminate them.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/four-ten-cancers-are-preventable-says-who">Original article</a> </p><p>This article was originally published on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork">VaccinesWork</a> </p><script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-M7H54VD');</script><noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M7H54VD" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript></article>

HPV vaccine. Gavi/2025/Wilson Photographer

At a glance

7.1 million of the 18.7 million cancer cases recorded worldwide in 2022 were preventable, says the new report.
Preventable risk factors include environmental pollutants, lifestyle choices like smoking or alcohol, and, for the first time in this report, infections like the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Vaccinating against HPV, responsible for almost all cervical cancers, has the potential to massively dent rates of preventable cancer.

World Cancer Day lands with a clear message: a huge share of the world’s cancer burden could be reduced by eliminating risk factors such as alcohol and smoking, as well as vaccinating against infectious causes of cancer such as HPV.

A new analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Agency for Research for Cancer (IARC) estimates that 7.1 million of the 18.7 million cancer cases in 2022 were caused by 30 preventable risk factors including – for the first time in this report – infectious causes.

Depending on where people live, up to 38.2% of cancers in women and 57.2% in men were linked to these preventable exposures, with lung, stomach and cervical cancers together making up nearly half of all potentially avoidable cases.

In women, infections were the leading cause of preventable cancers in most countries, outstripping smoking and excess weight. The largest share of preventable cancers was linked to HPV.

According to the latest estimates, there were over 20 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million cancer deaths in 2022, with projections indicating a 50% increase in new cases by 2040 if current trends persist.

Infections included for the first time

The report groups cancer causes into behavioural, environmental, occupational and infectious risks. The infectious component is notable.

Three cancers – cervical, stomach and lung – made up half of preventable cancers, and two of those have infectious causes. Almost all cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and most cases of stomach cancer by infections such as Helicobacter pylori.

In women, infections were the leading cause of preventable cancers in most countries, outstripping smoking and excess weight. The largest share of preventable cancers was linked to HPV.

Have you read?

In men, smoking (causing lung cancer), still dominates, but infections remain major contributors, particularly through liver and stomach cancers linked to hepatitis viruses and Helicobacter pylori.

Bringing infections into the same frame as tobacco or air pollution could reframe what cancer prevention might look like, emphasing that screening and vaccines like the HPV vaccine are key tools for cutting future cancer cases.

Increasing HPV vaccine coverage

Globally, there were an estimated 660,000 cases of cervical cancer in 2022, and the burden falls hardest on women in low- and middle-income countries. Ninety-four percent of the annual 350,000 cervical cancer deaths happen in these countries.

HPV vaccines can block infection with the virus types that cause the majority of cervical cancers, and HPV-based screening can catch precancerous changes early.

Given that the majority of cancers are preventable, the authors say their findings “reinforce the call for effective cancer prevention, which requires sustained political commitment and investment” to eliminate them.