World Cancer Day 2015 – ‘Not Beyond Us’
World Cancer Day takes place on February 4th, every year. It is a day where people and organizations around the world participate in a day of unity to raise awareness about cancer, in an attempt to make cancer a global health priority.
Every year 8.2 million people die from cancer worldwide, out of which 4 million people die prematurely (ages 33-69). The Union for International Cancer Control projects the burden to increase 75% by 2030 without intervention. Cancer is a complex group of diseases with many possible causes, including genetic factors, lifestyle factors (like diet, exercise, or tobacco use), certain types of infections, and environmental exposures to different types of chemicals and radiation. Except for cancers of the blood (leukemia), cancer occurs when changes in a group of normal cells within the body lead to uncontrolled growth causing a lump called a tumor. Tumors can be either benign (non-cancerous and non-harmful) or malignant (cancerous). If left untreated, cancerous cells from malignant tumors can spread to other body systems including the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems and cause further damage. There are over 200 known types of cancer.
The 2015 annual World Cancer Day campaign has set forth four key areas of focus for 2015:
(1) Healthy Life Choices
Empowering People to make healthy choices as well as reducing the social and environmental risk factors for cancer are both essential steps toward achieving the global goal of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by 25% by 2025.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least one-third of all cancer cases are preventable. Financially speaking, the prevention of cancer is much more cost-effective than reactive measures in the long-term. Prevention efforts come in all shapes and sizes, including but surely not limited to: The Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, the Tobacco Free Initiative, the Global Strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol, pollution prevention, Radon detection and exposure prevention, and Be Safe in the Sun.
(2) Early Detection
Ensuring the availability of, and access to, early detection programs for cancer can significantly reduce the cancer burden. However, not all countries around the world have the financial means or health care systems to appropriately screen, identify, and treat their own populations. With so many varieties of cancer and possible sites for infection throughout the body, building up early detection programs will be one of the best ways to find cancer early on in its development. Screening Guidelines for early detection have been set by the American Cancer Society and the World Health Organization.
(3) Treatment for All
All people have the right to access quality, effective cancer treatment and services on equal terms, regardless of geography and without suffering economic hardship as a consequence. With the advances of technology in recent decades, it is possible to cure or considerably prolong the life of patients with cancer, and one of the goals of World Cancer Day is to increase access to treatments for low and middle income countries. Additionally, organizations like the American Cancer Society help with resources regarding finding and paying for treatment, which further helps level the playing field and ensure fair treatment options for all.
(4) Quality of Life
Understanding and responding to the full impact of cancer on emotional, mental, and physical well-being will maximize the quality of life for patients, their families, and careers. Cancer can often be a life-threatening diagnosis, and World Cancer Day 2015’s fourth goal is to assist with an individuals’ quality of life when they are in the end-of-life stage, even if the individual suffering from cancer is a child. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights called for the “right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health”, and World Cancer Day 2015 is set to increase awareness regarding cancer and its effect on the quality of life.
The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) created the World Cancer Declaration back in 2006 in an attempt to bring the growing cancer crisis to the attention of government leaders and health policy-makers. The goal of the Declaration is to have governments around the world commit to a synchronized fight against cancer and other non-communicable diseases, and in 2013 the UICC updated its targets to:
- Strengthen health systems for effective cancer control
- Measure cancer burden and impact of cancer plans in all countries
- Reduce exposure to cancer risk factors
- Universal coverage of HPV and HBV vaccination
- Reduce stigma and dispel myths about cancer
- Universal access to screening and early detection for cancer
- improve access to services across the cancer care continuum
- Universal availability of pain control and distress management.
- Improve education and training of health care professional
How to Get Involved:
Now that World Cancer Day is on your radar, join in and help raise awareness. You can start by looking for an event near you using the World Cancer Day Event Map – There are 541 events planned for World Cancer Day 2015 so you may be able to join on today. Advocacy efforts reach many different areas of the world, and the organizations in the American Cancer Society’s ‘Meet the Targets’ program report are the backbone of the fight against non-communicable diseases. The report highlights many of the foreign battles in the shared fight against cancer, and those key successes would not have been possible without those fighting for a world without cancer.
Can’t find an event where you live? You can still contribute to the fight by spreading the word. The World Cancer Day 2015 Social Media Toolkit was designed to help public health professionals and anyone else who is interested establish a strategy for participating in World Cancer Day. This toolkit includes samples Facebook and Twitter posts, hashtags to use, a royalty-free image bank, and social media management advice and recommendations.
While cancer can be a scary and life-threatening condition, it will take a great deal of dedication and awareness on behalf of advocates and lawmakers to educate the world about prevention and early detection methods. You can help by encouraging friends and family to get screened or even donate to a research organization today.
