Rise in Infectious Disease-Caused Cancers Spurs Need for More Prevention
A new study published in The Lancet Oncology estimates that 12% of global cancer cases in 2024 were caused by infectious diseases. Researchers emphasize that many of these cancers are preventable through vaccination and early treatment of viruses like HPV and HBV.
Why it matters
It underscores the critical role of public health initiatives and vaccination programs in reducing the global cancer burden.
An estimated 2.3 million new cases of cancer were caused worldwide by infections in 2024, or about 12% of all cancers, according to researchers in Lyon and their collaborators. Most cancers are caused by aging, but infectious disease is a key additional risk factor, especially since most of these infections can be treated or prevented. The largest number of cancer cases were attributable to H. pylori , HPV, HBV, EBV, and HCV, in that order.
“Our understanding of how much cancer infectious diseases cause has greatly increased,” Gary M. Clifford, PhD, and lead author of the study told Inside Precision Medicine . “And we can test, treat and vaccinate against viruses, making them very amenable targets for public health and cancer prevention.”
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