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Infections linked to 12% of global cancer cases, study finds

International Agency for Research on Cancer study identifies 12 pathogens responsible for 2.3 million new cases in 2024.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Infections linked to 12% of global cancer cases, study finds

What this story says

  • Infections were estimated to cause 2.3 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2024, accounting for about 12% of all new cases.
  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a WHO arm, conducted the study published in The Lancet Oncology.
  • Helicobacter pylori and human papillomavirus (HPV) were the two largest contributors, each linked to roughly 750,000 to 760,000 cases.
  • The burden of infection-related cancers is disproportionately higher in low- and middle-income countries.

Who covered it

Left 36%(18)Centre 36%(18)Right 28%(14)

Percentages are shares of the 50 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 56 of the 106 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

86/100

Craft

95/100

Hype

50/100

106 sources · methodology

Infections were responsible for an estimated 2.3 million new cancer cases globally in 2024, representing approximately 12% of all new cancer diagnoses, according to a study published in The Lancet Oncology. The research, conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), identified 12 specific infectious agents linked to cancer.

The two most significant contributors were the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and the human papillomavirus (HPV), each accounting for around 750,000 to 760,000 cases. Other identified infectious agents include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The study noted that infection-related cancers occur more frequently in low- and middle-income countries, with higher rates observed in Eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa compared to North America.

Disagreement on specific pathogens

While the IARC study identified 12 infectious agents, some reports focused on a smaller number. For instance, fakti.bg, citing AFP, mentioned that five pathogens are responsible for almost all infection-related cancers, with a stomach germ at the top. Similarly, El Universo and New York Post highlighted five common infections as being behind more than two million new cancer cases. Discover Magazine specifically named five infections, including Epstein-Barr virus, linked to the 2.3 million cases.

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated digests mention the specific regional breakdown of infection-related cancer rates, such as the higher rates in Eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa compared to North America, which was detailed in CTV News and CBC News. None of the right-rated digests mention the specific regional disparities in infection-related cancer rates.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 1 Oct 2026, 18:15, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

18 rated outlets

  • Left-rated reports highlighted the preventability of many infection-related cancers. CBC News and fakti.bg noted that these infections are often preventable through vaccines. t-online.de stated that a large part of these diseases would be avoidable. La Opinion reported that one in eight tumors is attributed to preventable infections, naming Helicobacter pylori, HPV, hepatitis B and C viruses, and Epstein-Barr as concentrating most cases. Gizmodo's headline stated that the biggest culprit is not HPV, and The Independent mentioned that more than 626,000 Americans are projected to die from cancer this year, a detail not present in other reports.

Centre

18 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on the scale of the problem and the role of public health measures. CTV News quoted Dr. Harriet Rumgay, a co-author, stating that infection control can play a major role in reducing the global cancer burden and that infection-related cancers fall disproportionately on populations in low- and middle-income countries. Karena Volesky, an epidemiologist, was quoted by CTV News and CBC News saying that infections are a major cause of cancer and that public health measures like vaccinations and screenings are effective cancer-prevention tools. Eesti Rahvusringhääling's headline suggested that preventive work on infectious diseases could prevent millions of cancer cases. Allafrica.com reported that around 12% of the world's total cancer cases in 2024 were likely caused by an infection.

Right

14 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports often used the word "surprising" to describe the link between infections and cancer. nytimespost.com, wfmd.com, and Fox News all used headlines stating a "surprising culprit tied to 1 in 8 cancer cases worldwide." Fox News mentioned HPV, H. pylori, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C among the top causes. El Universo and Iefimerida.gr highlighted that five common infections are behind more than two million new cancer cases and that these are preventable. New York Post also focused on the number of cases linked to five common infections.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Infections linked to 12% of global cancer cases, study finds?
Of the 50 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 36% are rated left, 36% are rated centre, 28% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 106. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Infections linked to 12% of global cancer cases, study finds left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 50 rated outlets on this story, 36% are rated left, 36% are rated centre, 28% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Infections linked to 12% of global cancer cases, study finds biased?
Infections linked to 12% of global cancer cases, study finds is one event reported by 106 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Infections linked to 12% of global cancer cases, study finds?
106 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
How many new cancer cases are linked to infections globally?
An estimated 2.3 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2024 were linked to infections. This figure represents about 12% of all new cancer cases diagnosed globally in that year, according to a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Which infections are most commonly linked to cancer?
The two infections most commonly linked to cancer are Helicobacter pylori and human papillomavirus (HPV), each accounting for approximately 750,000 to 760,000 cases. Other significant contributors include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Where are infection-related cancers most prevalent?
The burden of infection-related cancers falls disproportionately on populations in low- and middle-income countries. Higher rates are observed in Eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa compared to North America, according to the study.

Read it at the source

106 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

18
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Centre

18
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Right

14
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Not rated

56
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How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Infections and cancer cases | MediaBias News