CARCINOGENIC infections caused approximately 2.3 million invasive cases worldwide during 2024, representing one in eight diagnoses. According to a new global epidemiological analysis, these carcinogenic infections accounted for approximately 12 percent of all newly diagnosed malignancies. The study evaluated twelve oncogenic pathogens, including viruses, a bacterium, and parasites, demonstrating that infection control holds an essential role in lowering the global cancer burden.
Among the twelve evaluated infectious agents, five pathogens were responsible for nearly all infection-related cancers worldwide. Helicobacter pylori produced the highest cancer burden, causing an estimated 760,000 cases in 2024. Human papillomavirus followed closely, accounting for approximately 750,000 cases. Hepatitis B virus caused roughly 360,000 malignancies, while hepatitis C virus was linked to about 160,000 cases. Epstein-Barr virus emerged as the fourth leading infectious cause of malignancy globally, generating approximately 260,000 cases and surpassing hepatitis C virus. This placement reflects accumulating evidence showing that Epstein-Barr virus drives not only nasopharyngeal cancer and lymphomas but also a proportion of gastric cancers. The analysis also evaluated human immunodeficiency virus, Merkel cell polyomavirus, Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1, Schistosoma haematobium, Opisthorchis viverrini, and Clonorchis sinensis.
The surveillance data demonstrated marked geographical disparities in infection-related cancers. Eastern Asia shouldered 42 percent of all infection-attributable cancer cases globally, driven primarily by Helicobacter pylori and hepatitis B virus. The disease burden was also pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa, where human papillomavirus and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus predominated and were compounded by human immunodeficiency virus. More than three-quarters of all infection-related cancers developed in low- and middle-income countries, where clinical access to prevention and therapies remains unequal. Most of these malignancies remain preventable through established interventions, including vaccination against human papillomavirus and hepatitis B virus, screening programs, targeted antimicrobial therapy for Helicobacter pylori, and viral hepatitis treatment. Addressing persistent health-system barriers and investing in novel vaccines against Epstein-Barr virus will be vital to reducing future cancer incidence.
Reference
Rumgay H et al. Global burden of cancer attributable to infections in 2024: a worldwide incidence analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2026;doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(26)00307-4.
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