1 in 8 cancer cases worldwide are caused by infections, study finds
A new study published in The Lancet Oncology reveals that 12 percent of global cancer cases in 2024 were caused by infectious agents like bacteria and viruses. Researchers identified 16 additional cancer-causing microbes, emphasizing the role of pathogens like H. pylori and HPV in cancer development.
Why it matters
Understanding the link between infections and cancer is critical for developing preventative vaccines and public health strategies to reduce global cancer rates.
A health worker shows vials of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine during a campaign aiming to protect girls from cervical cancer, in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2025. The virus causes 100 per cent of cases of cervical cancer. (Fareed Khan/The Associated Press)
Photo: (Fareed Khan/The Associated Press)
For many people, sun exposure, smoking and family history are the first thoughts that come to mind regarding cancer risk factors. While infections are rarely high on the list, new research shows one in eight cancers worldwide are actually caused by them.
These viruses, bacteria and other microbes are the focus of a new paper published Monday in The Lancet Oncology (new window) that linked an estimated 2.3 million new cancer cases in 2024 — 12 per cent of all new cases — to these infectious agents.
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