Just in time for World Cancer Day on 4 February 2026, the fifth edition of the European Code Against Cancer is available in German. The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has updated the recommendations and included concrete calls for action to policymakers for the first time. German Cancer Aid and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) are calling for Germany to align its prevention policy more closely with these guidelines in order to better exploit the enormous potential of cancer prevention.

In 2023, about 520,000 people in Germany were diagnosed with cancer. According to experts, around two-fifths of these diseases could have been avoided through health-conscious behaviour. The code bundles 14 scientifically sound recommendations with which everyone can reduce their individual risk of cancer. For the first time, the code is explicitly aimed at politicians and calls for legal measures to facilitate healthy decisions in everyday life.

Key individual recommendations include completely abstaining from tobacco – including e-cigarettes and vapes – a healthy body weight, regular physical activity, a balanced diet, protection from excessive UV radiation, and avoiding alcohol and tanning beds. Environmental pollution has been added as a risk factor: The code recommends walking, cycling or public transport if possible and avoiding open fireplaces indoors.

Two recommendations are specifically aimed at women: long-term breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer, and hormone replacement therapies during menopause should only be given after medical consideration and as short as possible.

The IARC calls on policymakers to adopt effective legal regulations: higher taxes on tobacco and nicotine products, alcohol, high-sugar foods and highly processed meat, expansion of vaccination programs against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus, improved occupational health and safety measures for carcinogenic substances, and urban planning measures for better air quality – for example, by avoiding traffic-congested locations for schools and daycare centers.

The German Cancer Aid and the DKFZ emphasize that cancer prevention is not just an individual task. Healthy living spaces must be created for everyone through smart legislation. Prevention and health promotion should be a central component of political strategies. The existing knowledge must finally be used consistently – for the benefit of each individual and society as a whole.

The fifth edition of the European Code Against Cancer will be available on German from 4 February 2026 at: https://cancer-code-europe.iarc.who.int/

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.