LONDON. February 4. KAZINFORM  Forty percent of the 12 million people diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year could avert the killer disease by protecting themselves against infections and changing their lifestyles, experts said on Tuesday.

A report by the Geneva-based International Union Against Cancer (UICC) highlighted nine infections that can lead to cancer and urged health officials to drive home the importance of vaccines and lifestyle changes in fighting the disease.

"If there was an announcement that somebody had discovered a cure for 40 percent of the world's cancers, there would quite justifiably be huge jubilation," UICC president David Hill told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"But the fact is that we have, now, the knowledge to prevent 40 percent of cancers. The tragedy is, we're not using it."

Cervical and liver cancer, both caused by infections which can be prevented with vaccines, should be top priorities, the report said, not only in rich nations, but also in developing countries where 80 percent of global cervical cancer occur.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and the total number of cases globally is increasing, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The number of global cancer deaths is projected to rise by 45 percent from 2007 to 2030 from 7.9 million to 11.5 million deaths, driven partly by a growing and aging global population,  Kazinform refers to China Daily.

See www.chinadaily.com for full version.