We provide a comprehensive view of the impact of alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, excess body weight, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection on cancer mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) in Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, the United Kingdom (UK), and United States (US).
We collected population attributable fractions of the four risk factors from global population-based studies and applied these to estimates of cancer deaths in 2020 to obtain potentially preventable cancer deaths and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Using life tables, we calculated the number and age-standardised rates of YLLs (ASYR).
In Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, the UK, and the US in 2020, an estimated 5.9 million (3.3 million–8.6 million) YLLs from cancer were attributable to alcohol consumption, 20.8 million (17.0 million–24.6 million) YLLs to tobacco smoking, 3.1 million (2.4 million–3.8 million) YLLs to excess body weight, and 4.0 million (3.9 million–4.2 million) YLLs to HPV infection. The ASYR from cancer due to alcohol consumption was highest in China (351.4 YLLs per 100,000 population [95% CI 194.5–519.2]) and lowest in the US (113.5 [69.6–157.1]) and India (115.4 [49.7–172.7). For tobacco smoking, China (1159.9 [950.6–1361.8]) had the highest ASYR followed by Russia (996.8 [831.0–1154.5). For excess body weight, Russia and the US had the highest ASYRs (385.1 [280.6–481.2] and 369.4 [299.6–433.6], respectively). The highest ASYR due to HPV infection was in South Africa (457.1 [453.3–462.6]). ASYRs for alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking were higher among men than women, whereas women had higher ASYRs for excess body weight and HPV infection.