According to a new study, 1.3 million people every yearin Russia, USA, UK, India, China and South Africa die from cancer caused by smoking tobacco.
Scientists found that together these seven countries (UK, US, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) account for more than half the global burden of cancer deaths each year. They concluded that smoking, along with three other preventable risk factors—alcohol, being overweight or obese, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections—were responsible for nearly 2 million deaths.
The study, conducted by researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and King's College London, also analyzed years of life lost due to cancer.
The scientists concluded that four preventable risk factors result in more than 30 million years of life lost (combined) each year. The study found that tobacco smoking had the greatest impact, causing 20.8 million years of life lost.
The number of years of life lost due to preventable cancer each year was calculated using the age at which the patients were diagnosed. cancer deaths from their disease, and the average life expectancy of the general population at that age to estimate how many years were lost due to cancer.
The findings were drawn from previous global studies and applying them to mortality estimates against cancer in 2020.