Tobacco and alcohol are the main causes of cancer globally
The study also found that about 50% of cancers are not caused by a known risk factor, and that means early diagnosis and effective treatment also need to be accompanied by increased prevention efforts.
According to the Global Burden of Disease study, smoking is by far the biggest contributor to cancer – accounting for 33.9% of cases, followed by alcohol at 7.4%.
According to a study nearly 50% of cancer cases globally stem from a known risk factor (mainly tobacco or alcohol), while cancer deaths from these causes account for 44.4%.