Third of UK cancer cases preventable, study finds

ALMOST a third of new cancer cases in the UK in 2022 were preventable, caused by smoking, excess weight and exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and sunbeds, according to analysis.

- GEORGE THOMPSON Press Association reporter

Experts said it is “good news” that many cancers could be avoided, and called for prevention strategies to focus on tackling risks and not blame.

For the study, experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) looked at 30 risk factors that cause the disease, including smoking, drinking alcohol, high body mass index, air pollution and infections.

Using data from across 185 countries they estimate that about 7.1 million of the 18.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed globally in 2022 were preventable.

UK figures shows some 32.6% of all new cancer cases - more than 148,000 - were caused by preventable factors during the period.

The top cause was tobacco smoking, which accounted for 16.2% of cases, followed by excess body fat (4.2%) and ultraviolet radiation (3.6%).

There were also slight variations among men and women in the UK.

For women, 32.2%, or more than 68,000, cancer cases were preventable.