Overview
- The Nature Medicine analysis links about 7.1 million of 18.7 million 2022 diagnoses to 30 modifiable exposures across 185 countries and 36 cancers.
- Tobacco was the largest single driver at roughly 15% of cases, followed by infections at about 10% and alcohol at around 3%.
- Lung, stomach and cervical cancers accounted for nearly half of the attributable burden, reflecting ties to smoking, H. pylori and HPV.
- Preventable fractions differed sharply by sex—about 45% in men versus 30% in women—and varied by region with infections leading in many low- and middle-income settings.
- Researchers paired 2022 incidence with earlier exposure data (circa 2012) to address latency and say the estimate may be conservative, bolstering WHO calls for stronger tobacco control, vaccination, cleaner air and safer workplaces.