1 in 8 Cancer Cases Attributed to Infection
A global analysis indicates that approximately 2.3 million cancer cases in 2024 were linked to infectious agents, representing 1 in 8 new diagnoses. The report emphasizes that many of these cancers are preventable through vaccines, diagnostics, and improved medical practices.
Why it matters
Identifying infections as a leading modifiable risk factor for cancer provides a clear roadmap for public health interventions to reduce global cancer incidence.
Approximately 2.3 million new cases of cancer worldwide in 2024, or 1 in 8 of all new cases, were attributable to an infection, in the first global analysis to include HIV in an estimate of cancer incidence from infection.1 Most of the infections were preventable, according to the report, or could have been treated before cancer develops.
"Infectious agents are a major preventable cause of cancer globally and are estimated to be the leading modifiable risk factor for cancer among women in 141 countries and men in 58 countries," observe Harriet Rumgay, PhD, Cancer Surveillance Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, and colleagues. "Importantly, many carcinogenic infectious agents have existing or potential preventive interventions, including vaccines, diagnostics, treatments, and safe-injection practices."
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