Today, February 4th, marks World Cancer Day, an international awareness day to raise worldwide attention and to inspire action! World Cancer Day campaigns to reduce the global cancer burden and challenge the stigma, misinformation, and inequities in care. To them, reducing the global cancer burden looks like catching it sooner, reducing the fear and isolation of struggling patients, and providing more fair and better access for all. Beginning way back in 2000, World Cancer Day is still led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), and supported by organizations like the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
Their current campaign, United By Unique, emphasizes that each individual’s cancer experiences are unique, and validates how deeply personal one’s cancer journey is and that quality of life is one of the most important factors to be aware of. They recognize how cancer is a long-term condition, affecting you in many ways more than just your physical health. The United By Unique campaign takes a people-centered care approach, focusing on a patient’s needs and values, and working to help better their quality of life.
Some of their goals in reducing the global cancer burden are to:
- Increase awareness and public understanding of common cancers and their risks, symptoms, prevention, and especially early detection. They do this through challenging common myths and misinformation surrounding cancer, and encouraging more open and honest conversations about cancer.
- Advocate for equal access to cancer treatments and reduce inequalities in care. They call for affordable, high-quality cancer care for all, regardless of income, location, age, or background. They highlight the gaps in access to screenings and care, urging governments, communities, and healthcare systems to take action and reduce these gaps, recognizing that each statistic is an individual person who needs access to care.
- Promote early cancer detection, and encourage people to take action. Through education of the preventable factors, importance of regular screenings, and encouraging people to listen to their bodies, this campaign aims to educate people the importance of early detection.
Early Detection:
In the spirit of early cancer detection, we’ve compiled some very comprehensive and credible websites that you can turn to when you’re looking for information relating to cancer screenings and detection. These resources are specifically designed to help you understand what screenings may be recommended for you, what ages you should be considering them, and how to have informed conversations with your healthcare team. These tools can help you make informed decisions and take the right steps:
- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) provides a Cancer Screening Page, which includes comprehensive information surrounding what cancer screening is and why it’s important, along with recent updates for Cancer Screening Research. This Screening Tests page includes explanations for different types of screenings, and why they are important for each type of cancer.
- The American Cancer Society (ACS) also provides great information regarding early detection. Their Guidelines of Early Detection page includes recommendations for WHEN to talk to your doctor when screening for certain cancers. Their Screening Guidelines by Age page recommends healthy lifestyle choices and habits, along with detailed information surrounding which screenings to get based on your age group.
- The Prevent Cancer Foundation also provides screening recommendations for each age group on their Cancer Screenings and Prevention page, for when to begin and how often screenings should be performed.
World Cancer Day isn’t just about a single day, it’s a global movement rooted in awareness, education, advocacy, and more. It’s also a reminder that every cancer journey is a unique experience, and not everyone has the ability or resources to have a loud enough voice to advocate for themselves. If you or someone you care for needs support, information, or guidance, we are always here to help.
