The infections quietly fuelling cancer - and the chance to stop them

For Bangladesh, the latest global cancer figures carry an uncomfortable message: some cancers may begin with infections that can often be prevented, detected or treated long before a tumour appears. In a country where families already face the emotional and financial shock of cancer, that makes prevention increasingly urgent.

A new worldwide analysis estimates that infections were responsible for about 2.3 million new cancer cases in 2024; roughly one in every eight cancers diagnosed globally. Strikingly, 77 per cent of these cases occurred in low- and middle-income countries.   

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Two infections dominated the picture. A common stomach bacterium was linked to about 760,000 cancer cases, mostly stomach cancer. HPV, a widespread virus passed through intimate contact, accounted for around 750,000 cases and was the cause behind cervical cancer in the study. Hepatitis B and C, which can quietly damage the liver for years, were also major contributors to liver cancer.     

The findings matter for Bangladesh because the story is not simply about treating cancer after it arrives. It is about stopping some cancers before they have the chance to begin.

Vaccination against HPV and hepatitis B can prevent infections that later lead to cancer. Testing and timely treatment for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and the stomach bacterium can also reduce risk. Safer injections, protection against sexually transmitted infections and regular cervical screening add further layers of defence.

Yet the global picture exposes a familiar inequality. Countries with fewer resources carry much of the burden, even though many of the preventive tools already exist. Cost, limited access, lack of awareness and gaps in health services can turn a preventable infection into a cancer diagnosis years later.

Cancer is often spoken about as bad luck, family history or an unavoidable disease of ageing. This research adds another perspective: prevention may sometimes start with something as ordinary as a vaccine, a test or treating an infection early.

For Bangladesh, that is more than a medical message. It is an opportunity to move cancer care upstream before the diagnosis, before the hospital bed, and before a family hears the words it fears most.

Email: sumaiya.khaled@thedailystar.net