One in Eight Global Cancer Cases in 2024 Attributed to Infectious Agents
A new IARC analysis estimates that 12% of all cancers diagnosed in 2024 were caused by five major infections, amounting to roughly 2.3 million cases worldwide.
Researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer calculated that infections were responsible for one in eight cancer diagnoses worldwide in 2024, translating to roughly 2.3 million cases. The five pathogens identified - Helicobacter pylori, human papillomavirus, hepatitis B virus, Epstein-Barr virus and hepatitis C virus - together produced the highest infection-related cancer burden, with H. pylori and HPV each causing about 750,000 cases.
Geographic analysis showed the greatest impact in Eastern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and South-East Asia, reflecting differences in infection prevalence and health-system capacity. Scientists emphasized that most infection-linked cancers are preventable through existing vaccines, antimicrobial therapies and improved infection-control measures, yet these interventions are often underused in poorer regions. The authors called on policymakers to scale up vaccination, screening and treatment programs to reduce the preventable cancer load.
Why it matters
Infection-related cancers are a large, preventable share of the global cancer burden, highlighting gaps in public-health access.
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