One in eight cancers linked to infections worldwide

Clinical takeaway: Consider infection prevention and treatment as a core cancer prevention strategy. Researchers estimate that about 12% of all new cancers worldwide in 2024 were attributable to infectious agents, many of which are preventable or treatable.

Cancer incidence continues to rise globally, but a substantial share may be avoidable. Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), treatment of Helicobacter pylori, HBV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and HIV, along with screening programs, represent established but often underused opportunities to reduce cancer risk.

An analysis of 2024 global cancer incidence data estimated that 2.3 million new cancer cases were attributable to infections, accounting for roughly 1 in 8 cancers worldwide. The leading contributors were H pylori (760,000 cases), HPV (750,000), HBV (360,000), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV; 260,000), and HCV (160,000).

Most H pylori-related cancers were gastric cancers, while HPV accounted for essentially all cervical cancers worldwide, totaling about 600,000 cases. HBV and HCV were major drivers of liver cancer, and EBV emerged as the fourth-largest infectious cause of cancer, reflecting growing evidence linking the virus to gastric cancer and several lymphoma subtypes.

The burden was highest in eastern Asia, which accounted for nearly 1 million infection-attributable cancers, or 42% of the global total. Infection-related cancers also represented a disproportionate share of cases in sub-Saharan Africa, where they accounted for one-quarter of all cancers. Overall, 77% of infection-attributable cancers occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

The authors concluded: “Our findings underscore the importance of accelerating control of infectious agents to achieve cancer prevention goals,” noting that many effective strategies already exist but remain underused because of “societal, financial, and political barriers.”

Source: Rumgay H, et al. (2026 Oct) Lancet Oncol. Global burden of cancer attributable to infections in 2024: a worldwide incidence analysis