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More than one-third of cancer cases are preventable, massive study finds

Many cancers are linked to two modifiable habits: tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption.
By
  1. Gemma Conroy

    1. Gemma Conroy is a freelance science journalist based in Mexico City.

Nearly 40% of new cancer cases worldwide are potentially preventable, according to one of the first investigations1 of its kind, which analysed dozens of cancer types in almost 200 countries.

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Nature 650, 281-282 (2026)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00333-1

References

  1. Fink, H. et al. Nature Med. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04219-7 (2026).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. GBD 2019 Cancer Risk Factors Collaborators. Lancet 400, 563–591 (2022).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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