New Study on Cancer Prevention: Cancer has always been considered a disease from which it is not possible to prevent. If you also think like this, then you also need to be aware. A new study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has revealed something very shocking. The study claims that about 40% of cancer cases worldwide can be prevented. If you understand in simple language, prevention is possible in 4 out of every 10 cancer cases. This research has been released before World Cancer Day, so that governments and common people can be made aware of the real causes of cancer and prevention measures.

In this study, WHO and IARC have analyzed 30 major causes of cancer, which can be changed or controlled. These include tobacco and alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation and nine cancer-causing infections. According to the new report, out of the total new cancer cases reported in the year 2022, about 37 percent i.e. 77 lakh cases were related to such reasons, which could have been prevented by right lifestyle and good habits.

In this study, data related to 185 countries and 36 types of cancer has been analyzed. According to experts, tobacco has been described as the biggest preventable cause of cancer worldwide, which is responsible for about 15 percent of the total new cancer cases. After this, infection (10 percent) and alcohol consumption (8 percent) are the main reasons. This clearly indicates that cancer is not just a genetic disease, but is largely a threat related to lifestyle and environment.

Talking about India, about 37 percent of cancer cases in both men and women can be prevented in the country, which in terms of numbers is about 5.20 lakh. Infections are the biggest causes of cancer in India. If we understand in simple language, about 13.4 percent of cancer cases in the country arise due to infection. Apart from this, tobacco consumption also remains a serious danger. According to the report, smoking is the cause of 10.5 percent of cancer cases, while smokeless tobacco and betel nut consumption has been found to be associated with about 5 percent of the cases.

About 44.7 percent of cancer cases in India are associated with modifiable risks. If the focus is on infection prevention, tobacco control, vaccination and regular check-ups, then about 30.5 percent of cancer cases in women in India can be prevented. Experts believe that timely screening can prove to be very effective in cases like cervical and breast cancer.