Long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of developing cancer by 11 percent and the risk of cancer-related death by 12 percent, according to a global report released on Monday by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) with support from the Clean Air Fund. The report, titled "Clean Air in Cancer Control: An Overview of the Evidence", synthesised findings from 42 studies published between 2019 and 2024 and found that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is linked to higher risks of liver, colorectal, breast, and lung cancers. Mortality risk from breast cancer rises by 20 percent, while liver cancer death risk increases by 14 percent and lung cancer by 12 percent. Exposure to larger particles (PM10) is associated with a 10 percent higher risk of developing cancer and a 13 percent greater risk of dying from lung cancer. The report estimates ambient air pollution contributes to approximately 434,000 lung cancer deaths globally each year.
Women exposed to household air pollution from solid fuels used for cooking and heating face a 69 percent higher risk of lung cancer, with increased risks for other cancers as well. The burden is most severe in low- and middle-income countries where weak pollution controls and limited access to cancer care deepen health disparities. Cary Adams, CEO of UICC, stated, "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." Nina Renshaw, Head of Health at the Clean Air Fund, said cleaner air is essential to cancer prevention and survival, warning that without it, decades of investment in cancer research and treatment will be undermined. The report identifies cleaner energy, stricter emission controls, better urban planning, and expanded air quality monitoring as proven interventions. While over 140 countries have air quality standards, only about one-third enforce them effectively.
The report shows air pollution increases cancer risk by 11 percent, yet only a third of countries with air quality standards actually enforce them. This gap reveals a global pattern of policy inertia where known solutions are ignored despite clear health consequences. If enforcement remains weak, especially in low- and middle-income countries, rising pollution will continue to erode progress in cancer outcomes. The data offers no excuse for inaction—only a measure of how much is being lost to neglect.
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