Infections caused 2.3 million new cancers in 2024, 12% of all cases. Four pathogens account for most of them: H. pylori (about 760,000, mainly gastric, 410,000 of them in East Asia), HPV (about 750,000, mainly cervical), hepatitis B (about 360,000, mainly liver) and Epstein-Barr virus (about 260,000). The share has barely moved since IARC's last estimate.
Why it matters
These are the most preventable cancers in medicine, and the tools are cheap: a breath or stool test for H. pylori, HPV and hepatitis B vaccination, hepatitis screening. A longevity workup that orders a full-body MRI but skips an H. pylori test has its priorities backward, especially for patients with East Asian heritage or a family history of gastric cancer.
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer. The BMJ, October 1, 2026.
Originally published in The Longevity Medicine Intelligence newsletter.
