Doctor in Nigeria names common cancer risk factors
In Nigeria, doctor and medical knowledge popularizer Chinonso Egemba, known as Aproko Doctor, named hepatitis B, aflatoxins in food, tobacco, alcohol and human papillomavirus among common risk factors for cancer. Premium Times Nigeria reported this, citing his video on cancer prevention.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer caused nearly 10 million deaths worldwide in 2024. WHO states that approximately 38% of cancer cases can be prevented by avoiding known risk factors and using evidence-based prevention strategies. In Nigeria, about 130,000 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2022, and 80,000 people died from the disease, according to WHO data.
Infections and food safety
Chronic hepatitis B infection may not cause obvious symptoms for years while damaging the liver. WHO notes that it can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. In 2024, around 240 million people worldwide were living with chronic hepatitis B; the infection was linked to approximately 1.1 million deaths, mainly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Vaccination against hepatitis B helps prevent infection and its long-term consequences.
A separate risk is posed by aflatoxins, toxic substances produced by certain Aspergillus mold fungi. They can contaminate maize, sorghum, rice and peanuts when stored improperly. WHO advises discarding food with traces of mold, altered color or shriveling, as mycotoxins can penetrate deeper than the visibly affected area. Exposure to aflatoxins is particularly dangerous for people with hepatitis B.
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Tobacco, alcohol and HPV
WHO calls tobacco the largest avoidable cause of cancer mortality. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, at least 69 of which can cause cancer. Smoking is associated, in particular, with cancers of the lungs, mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidneys, liver, pancreas, stomach, colon and rectum, cervix, and blood.
Alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon and rectum, as well as breast cancer. WHO emphasizes that there is no level of alcohol consumption that is safe in terms of cancer risk. Meanwhile, persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus causes nearly 99% of cervical cancer cases. The virus is also linked to cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, penis, mouth and throat.
According to a global analysis by WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, released in 2026, 37% of all new cancer cases diagnosed worldwide in 2022, or about 7.1 million, were linked to preventable causes. Tobacco accounted for the largest share at 15%, followed by carcinogenic infections at 10% and alcohol at 3%.
