Cancer has become a familiar word in Nigeria.
The disease affects families, public figures and ordinary people from every walks of lives. When a well-known person dies from cancer, the same questions often return: What causes cancer? Could it have been prevented? And what can an ordinary person do to reduce the risk?
There is no single answer. The issue goes beyond blaming one food, habit or lifestyle. 
Cancer is not one disease. It describes a large group of diseases in which abnormal cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Each type has its own causes and risk factors.
Several factors can increase a person’s risk. These include certain behaviours, environmental exposure, infections, ageing and inherited genetic changes. In some cases, doctors cannot identify one clear cause.
That is why cancer prevention cannot follow a single formula.
A Significant Number of Cases Can Be Prevented
Prevention does not guarantee that a person will never develop cancer. Instead, it focuses on reducing exposure to factors that increase the risk of certain cancers.
A 2026 analysis from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that 37% of new cancer cases worldwide in 2022, about 7.1 million cases, involved preventable causes.
Tobacco accounted for the largest share. It contributed to about 15% of all new cancer cases. Cancer-causing infections followed at 10%, while alcohol accounted for 3%.
Those figures do not mean that cancer always results from personal choices. They show how much prevention could achieve.
The Risks People Can Reduce
Smoking remains one of the clearest preventable cancer risks.
Tobacco smoke contains chemicals that can damage cells and cause cancer in several organs. People who quit smoking can lower their risk, even after years of tobacco use.
Alcohol creates another preventable risk. Regular consumption increases the risk of several cancers, with heavier consumption generally carrying greater risk.
Other factors also matter. Excess body weight, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, air pollution and ultraviolet radiation can increase cancer risk.
This is why cancer prevention should not revolve around one particular food. No diet can guarantee protection from cancer.
A healthier approach combines several habits. Avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight and reducing exposure to known carcinogens can all lower risk.
Some Cancer Risks Come From Infections
Infections deserve particular attention in Nigeria and other countries where certain diseases remain common.
The World Health Organization identifies human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B, hepatitis C and Helicobacter pylori among infections that can increase cancer risk.
HPV can cause cervical cancer. Hepatitis B and C can increase the risk of liver cancer.
Vaccination offers protection against some of these risks. The HPV vaccine helps prevent HPV-related cancers, while hepatitis B vaccination reduces the risk of infection that can later contribute to liver cancer.
Doctors can also manage some cancer-causing infections through early diagnosis and treatment.
WHO estimates that cancer-causing infections account for about 30% of cancer cases in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
This makes cancer prevention more than a personal lifestyle issue.
Healthcare access, vaccination programmes and public health policies also matter.
What Cancer Looks Like in Nigeria
Nigeria already carries a significant cancer burden. Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) estimates show that the country recorded 127,763 new cancer cases and 79,542 cancer deaths in 2022.
The cancer burden also differs between Nigerian men and women. Prostate cancer had the highest number of new cases among Nigerian men. Colorectal and liver cancers followed.
Among women, breast cancer ranked first. Cervical and colorectal cancers followed. These figures show why one cancer strategy cannot address every case.
Different cancers require different approaches to prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment.
Not Every Cancer Can Be Prevented
This is one part of the cancer conversation that often gets overlooked.
Healthy habits cannot guarantee complete protection. A person can avoid smoking, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet and still develop cancer.
Age remains an important risk factor. Inherited genetic changes can also increase a person’s chances of developing certain cancers.
Biological changes can create another layer of uncertainty. Sometimes doctors cannot trace a cancer diagnosis to one specific exposure or behaviour.
For that reason, blaming patients for their illness is wrong. Prevention lowers risk. It does not create immunity.
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Early Detection Can Make a Difference
Prevention represents only one part of the fight against cancer.
Early detection can also improve treatment outcomes. WHO says doctors can cure many cancers when they find them early and provide appropriate treatment.
Persistent or unusual symptoms therefore deserve medical attention. Screening also has an important role, but the right test depends on factors such as age, sex, family history and individual risk. Doctors do not recommend every screening test for everyone.
A person should also avoid dismissing an unusual change simply because it does not cause pain.
So, Can Cancer Be Avoided?
Sometimes. Not completely.
Recent WHO and IARC evidence provides a clearer picture. Individuals and governments can reduce many of the risks that contribute to cancer.
Another IARC study published in 2026 estimated that prevention, earlier detection and better treatment could have prevented 48% of cancer deaths among people diagnosed with cancer in 2022.
That figure does not mean that nearly half of cancer patients could simply have avoided the disease.
Instead, it shows the potential impact of reducing known risks, finding cancer earlier and improving treatment.
Individuals can take known risk factors seriously and seek medical advice when necessary.
Governments and health systems also have a role. Better vaccination, screening, diagnosis and access to effective treatment can change outcomes.
Cancer will not disappear because people eat better or exercise more.
However, people can still take meaningful steps to lower their risk.
Some risks can be reduced. Some cancers can be prevented. Doctors can detect others earlier. Understanding the difference may save lives.
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