Global Parasite-Attributable Cancer Burden and the Preventable Fraction: An Updated Integrated Estimate
- 1Independent Researcher
Abstract
Background. Chronic parasitic infections are Group 1 (IARC) carcinogens for at least three distinct cancers, yet no single published source has provided an updated, integrated estimate of current parasite-attributable cancer burden with an explicit preventable fraction analysis benchmarked to WHO control targets. This gap leaves parasite control programmes uncredited in global cancer prevention accounting. Methods. Population-attributable fraction (PAF) analysis using the Levin formula was applied to five parasite–cancer pairs: Schistosoma haematobium → bladder squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); Opisthorchis viverrini + Clonorchis sinensis → cholangiocarcinoma (CCA); Schistosoma japonicum → colorectal cancer (CRC); Plasmodium falciparum → endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL); and Strongyloides stercoralis / HTLV-1 co-infection → adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL). Exposure prevalence estimates were drawn from current WHO/IARC surveillance data; odds ratios from published meta-analyses. Preventable fractions were calculated at current intervention coverage and at WHO 50–80% coverage targets. Results. Across the five parasite–cancer pairs, current global parasite-attributable cancer...
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BibTeX
@misc{webb2026global,
title = {{Global Parasite-Attributable Cancer Burden and the Preventable Fraction: An Updated Integrated Estimate}},
author = {Marcus Webb},
howpublished = {Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20402656},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20402656},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Global Parasite-Attributable Cancer Burden and the Preventable Fraction: An Updated Integrated Estimate
AU - Marcus Webb
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/27
PB - Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
DO - 10.5281/zenodo.20402656
UR - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20402656
AB - Background. Chronic parasitic infections are Group 1 (IARC) carcinogens for at least three distinct cancers, yet no single published source has provided an updated, integrated estimate of current parasite-attributable cancer burden with an explicit preventable fraction analysis benchmarked to WHO control targets. This gap leaves parasite control programmes uncredited in global cancer prevention accounting. Methods. Population-attributable fraction (PAF) analysis using the Levin formula was applied to five parasite–cancer pairs: Schistosoma haematobium → bladder squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); Opisthorchis viverrini + Clonorchis sinensis → cholangiocarcinoma (CCA); Schistosoma japonicum → colorectal cancer (CRC); Plasmodium falciparum → endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL); and Strongyloides stercoralis / HTLV-1 co-infection → adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL). Exposure prevalence estimates were drawn from current WHO/IARC surveillance data; odds ratios from published meta-analyses. Preventable fractions were calculated at current intervention coverage and at WHO 50–80% coverage targets. Results. Across the five parasite–cancer pairs, current global parasite-attributable cancer...
ER -