World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day History

World Cancer Day seeks to raise worldwide awareness about cancer and encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. The primary goal of this observance is to substantially reduce illness and death caused by cancer by 2020. An integral part of this international day of awareness is the World Cancer Declaration, a document that sets out a clear path to help tackle the cancer crisis at both individual and collective levels.

This annual observance has gained significant relevance in the United Kingdom, considering the alarming incidence of cancer in the nation. Cancer Research UK indicates that every two minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer. A significant history is linked with this day in the UK context. Established in 2000 by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), World Cancer Day has been pivotal in promoting research, improving patient services, and rallying the global community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer, keeping the UK's context in prime focus.

In the United Kingdom, World Cancer Day is marked by various events and activities aimed at raising awareness and funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. Campaigns and advocacy on a grassroots to governmental level stimulate discourse and action. These observances can range from public information campaigns to fundraising events. Cancer Research UK, for instance, has been providing Unity Bands in exchange for donations. These bands act as a symbol of unity in the fight against cancer. Importantly, each year this day is observed globally, including within the UK on the 4th of February.

Facts about World Cancer Day

• The theme for World Cancer Day in 2023-2024 was Close the care gap. Everyone deserves access to cancer care.
• World Cancer Day was created on February 4, 2000 at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium in Paris. The Paris Charter aimed to promote research, prevent cancer, improve patient services, raise awareness, and mobilize the global community to make progress against cancer.
• According to the World Health Organization, at least one-third of all cancer cases are preventable. Lifestyle changes such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, keeping active, and eating right can prevent certain types of cancer.
• Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the UK, accounting for around one in four deaths. Approximately 367,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed each year, and the incidence of cancer is expected to rise by 2% by 2035.
• The most common forms of cancer in the UK are breast, lung, prostate, and bowel cancer. Other types of cancer, such as skin, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer, are also prevalent.

In the News and Trending in the UK for World Cancer Day

Top things to do in the UK for World Cancer Day

• Understand the risks of smoking and urge those that you know to quit smoking. Smoking accounts for 25% of all cancer deaths globally each year.
• Join the fundraising activities to support cancer victims, their families, and the continued research efforts to find a cure. Many communities offer Walks for the Cure and other types of fundraising events that can support cancer survivors or those who receive treatment.
• Learn to recognize some of the general signs and symptoms of cancer. Although they differ by the type of cancer, some of the American Cancer Society's general signs and symptoms are:
  1) the presence of an obvious mass (a bump)
  2) unexplained weight loss
  3) loss of appetite
  4) frequent fevers
• Read a book to learn more about Cancer:
  The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer - by Siddhartha Mukherjee - while not specific to the UK, this Pulitzer Prize-winning book provides a comprehensive overview of the history and current state of cancer research and treatment.
  Radical: The Science, Culture and History of Breast Cancer in Britain - by Kate Pickering - a UK-specific exploration of breast cancer, from its social and cultural implications to the latest scientific research.
• Attend Educational seminars : Many hospitals and universities will host informational seminars about various types of cancer, prevention, and new treatment research.