This virus in the body causes cancer in 1.9 lakh people in India every year, according to a new WHO report.

WHO Cancer Report India: Generally, we all believe that a deadly disease like cancer is caused by bad lifestyle, tobacco use, alcohol addiction or genetic factors. However, a recent global medical study has disturbed everyone's sleep, from doctors to ordinary citizens. According to a new and comprehensive report published in the medical journal 'The Lancet Oncology', about 1.9 lakh new cancer cases are being reported in India every year due to different types of bacterial and viral infections. The report makes it clear that some of the seemingly common infections that have taken root in our body for a long time can later take the form of deadly and deadly cancers

Infections constitute a major share in the total cancer cases in the country

Expert researchers from the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have come up with some very shocking statistics in this regard. According to this official report, a total of more than 15.62 lakh new cancer patients were reported in India during the year 2024. Surprisingly, out of these total cancer cases, more than 12 percent of the patients were those who had cancer due to some kind of chronic infection. Not only in India, but globally too, about 12 percent of the total cancer cases, i.e. about 2.3 million cases, are due to this type of preventable common infection.

Human papillomavirus (HPV): The biggest enemy of cancer

As pointed out in this report, 'Human Papillomavirus' (HPV) alone plays the largest share of cancer cases due to infection in India. This single virus has been reported to be directly responsible for more than 1 lakh cancer cases annually in the country. This virus is the main cause of cervical cancer, especially in women. It is a matter of relief that this serious threat can be completely prevented by getting the right vaccine on time. But unfortunately, this number is continuously increasing every year due to lack of awareness about this vaccine among the general public.

other deadly bacteria targeting the stomach and liver

HPV virus, the second biggest threat is associated with stomach infections. The data of the report states that the stomach bacteria called 'Helicobacter pylori' causes around 47,000 cases of cancer every year in India, which over time results in gastric or severe stomach cancers.

In addition, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C viruses, which directly cause severe liver damage, have also become a major challenge for the country's health system. This virus is believed to be responsible for about 10,000 and 5,300 new cases of liver cancer, respectively. At the same time, the virus named Epstein-Barr has also been found to be responsible for about 22,000 cancer patients. These are dangerous pathogens that hide in the human body for years and gradually spread the cancer poison to the healthy cells of the body

best way to prevent: Vaccination and timely proper testing

Following the publication of this eye-opening report, the country's leading health experts have advised that millions of lives could be saved if taken at the right time, if alerted and treated. Since all these cases are directly related to infection, the risk of cancer can be significantly reduced with regular health check-ups, timely immunization and proper treatment<>

Vaccinating girls against HPV at an early age and newborns against Hepatitis B at birth can prove to be the most effective and concrete steps taken in this direction. Moreover, it is highly advisable to consult a specialist doctor immediately instead of ignoring chronic stomach problems or any kind of infection as normal.