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18:24, September 30 The Lancet Oncology: Infections Account for One in Eight Cancer Diagnoses Worldwide
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21:22, September 28 More than 1,500 cases of West Nile virus infection recorded in Europe
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The Lancet Oncology: Infections Account for One in Eight Cancer Diagnoses Worldwide
Just five infectious agents are responsible for almost all infection-related cancer cases — more than 2 million new cancer diagnoses each year, or roughly one in eight cancer cases worldwide. The study was published in The Lancet Oncology.
According to estimates by researchers led by cancer epidemiologist Harriet Rumgay, around 2.3 million new cancer cases in 2024 were associated with infections, accounting for 12% of all cases. Two pathogens account for the largest shares: Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes stomach cancer, was associated with around 760,000 cases, or 4% of all cancers, while human papillomavirus (HPV) was linked to around 750,000 cases, also 4%. They were followed by hepatitis B virus, responsible for around 2% of cases, Epstein-Barr virus, at around 1%, and hepatitis C virus, at less than 1%.
The key point is that many of these cancers are preventable. Vaccines are available against HPV and hepatitis B, H. pylori infection can be detected and treated with antibiotics, and hepatitis C can now be cured with antiviral medications. This means that a substantial proportion of these more than 2 million cases could, in principle, be prevented.
The problem is particularly acute in low- and middle-income countries: around three-quarters of infection-related cancers occur in these countries, while East Asia alone accounts for 42% of the global total. Access to vaccination, screening, and treatment is also generally more limited in these regions. The authors emphasize that expanding vaccination, screening, and treatment of infections is one of the most practical ways to reduce the global burden of cancer, particularly in areas where that burden is greatest.
The link between infections and cancer has long been known, but its scale is often underestimated: people tend to think of cancer as a disease of genes and lifestyle, overlooking the role of microbes and viruses. Yet the infectious origin of some cancers makes them uniquely preventable. Widespread HPV vaccination of girls and boys, hepatitis B vaccination during infancy, and programs to detect H. pylori and hepatitis C could ultimately save millions of lives.
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