The Union for International Cancer Control, UICC, has warned that long-term exposure to air pollution significantly increases the risk of developing and dying from cancer.
The union said that this underscored an urgent need for stronger environmental and public health policies.
The finding is contained in a new global report titled, “Clean Air in Cancer Control: An Overview of the Evidence” released on Monday with support from Clean Air Fund.
The report showed that prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter, PM2.5, raises the overall risk of developing cancer by 11 per cent and increases the risk of cancer-related death by 12 per cent.
It said that the sharpest increases were recorded in liver and colorectal cancers, while mortality risk rose by 20 per cent for breast cancer.
It said that the mortality rate also rose by 14 per cent for liver cancer and 12 per cent for lung cancer.
According to the report, exposure to larger particles, PM10, is also linked to a 10 per cent higher risk of developing cancer and a 13 per cent increased risk of dying from lung cancer.
Chief Executive Officer of UICC, Cary Adams, said that although progress had been made in reducing global cancer deaths, air pollution remained a silent yet significant threat.
“We have made huge strides in reducing deaths from cancer, but polluted air is silently undermining that progress.
“It is a risk people cannot opt out of, and one that disproportionately affects women, children and people living in poverty,” Adams said.
The report further highlighted that women and children, especially those exposed to smoke from solid fuels used for cooking and heating, face heightened risks.
It said that women exposed to household air pollution had a 69 per cent higher risk of lung cancer, alongside increased risks of other cancers.
The burden, it said, is heaviest in low- and middle-income countries, where limited resources to tackle pollution and access timely cancer care compound existing health inequalities.
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The report estimated that ambient air pollution contributes to about 434,000 lung cancer deaths globally each year.
Head of Health at the Clean Air Fund, Nina Renshaw, called for urgent government action to address the growing health crisis.
“Cleaner air is essential to both cancer prevention and improving survival.
“Without it, decades of investment in cancer research and treatment will be undermined,” she said.
Renshaw urged governments to enforce emission standards, transition to clean energy, and integrate air quality targets into national cancer control strategies.
The report also identified proven interventions such as cleaner energy adoption, improved urban planning, stricter transport and industrial emission controls, and expanded air quality monitoring as key to reducing exposure.
It said that while more than 140 countries had air quality standards, only about one-third effectively enforce them.
The report was commissioned by UICC, with research conducted by The George Institute for Global Health, synthesizing findings from 42 studies published between 2019 and 2024.
It warned that without decisive action, rising air pollution could undermine global efforts to curb cancer, particularly in developing countries already facing fragile health systems.
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