Global Cancer Infection Link
Infections Accounted for 2.3 Million Global Cancer Cases in 2024
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An analysis by the International Agency for Research on Cancer published in The Lancet Oncology estimates that infections were linked to about 2.3 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2024, roughly 12% of the total. Five pathogens accounted for most cases: Helicobacter pylori and human papillomavirus each contributed about 4% of all cancers, followed by hepatitis B, Epstein-Barr virus and hepatitis C. The infections are associated with cancers including stomach, cervical and liver cancers, and about three-quarters of infection-related cases occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Researchers say many of these cancers can be prevented or reduced through measures such as vaccination, screening, and testing and treatment for infections including H. pylori and hepatitis.
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Eastern Asia accounted for 990,000 infection-related cancer cases—42% of the global total—and had the highest age-standardized incidence rate, at 31.9 cases per 100,000 people, compared with a worldwide average of 22.7.
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H. pylori was linked to an estimated 760,000 cancer cases in 2024, mostly non-cardia gastric tumors. The article notes there is not yet a vaccine, but infection can be detected with a test and is usually treated with antibiotics.
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Australia’s HPV vaccination programme has reduced HPV infections by 90% among eligible adolescents since 2007, and the country is moving toward a cervical-cancer elimination target by 2035.
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Study senior author Gary Clifford said, “We can intervene before it gets anywhere near cancer,” adding that implementation requires political and financial support, public buy-in and effective communication.
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