The Lancet Infectious Diseases review, which looked at incidence rates for 27 cancers in 184 countries, indicates four main infections are attributable for approximately two million new cancer cases every year.
These four -- human papillomaviruses, Helicobacter pylori and hepatitis B and C viruses -- account for cervical, gut and liver cancers. And, most cases are in the developing world.
The research team from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France says that more efforts are needed to tackle these avoidable cases as well as to recognise cancer as a communicable disease.
The proportion of cancers related to infection is about three times higher in parts of the developing world, such as east Asia, than in developed countries like the UK -- 22.9 per cent versus 7.4 per cent respectively.
Nearly a third of cases occur in people younger than 50 years. Among women, cancer of the cervix accounted for about half of the infection-related cancers. In men, more than 80 per cent were liver and gastric cancers.
Drs Catherine de Martel and Martyn Plummer, who led the research, was quoted by the 'BBC' as saying, "Infections with certain viruses, bacteria, and parasites are some of the biggest and preventable causes of cancer worldwide.
"Application of existing public-health methods for infection prevention, such as vaccination, safer injection practice or antimicrobial treatments, could have a substantial effect on the future burden of cancer worldwide." (MORE)
