Four years ago, I had no idea what World Cancer Day was and the significance it held to millions of humans around our planet. Four years ago, Feb. 4 was just a normal day in the shortest month of the year.
World Cancer Day is held on Feb. 4 each year to raise awareness and encourage prevention, early detection, and treatment of cancer. According to the World Cancer Day organization, it’s a day to provoke the question, “What action can we, you, and I take against cancer?”
The World Cancer Day initiative was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and supports the goals of the 2008 World Cancer Declaration to significantly reduce cancer deaths by 2020.
World Cancer Day is a day to be in solidarity with all cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers around the world.
I never expected to be so significantly impacted and inspired by a day that revolved around cancer. If you’ve landed on this column, I’m sure that there was a time when you never thought you’d feel inclined to check out Lymphoma News Today or read about cancer topics. We live our lives trying to stay as far away as possible from this reality, and now that it’s in my world, I can’t imagine my life without it. I can’t imagine not caring or trying to raise awareness to help other cancer patients.
World Cancer Day motivates me to ask what I can do to raise awareness and educate others about this experience.
The fact is that 19.3 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed worldwide by 2025, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Globally, nearly one in six deaths are due to cancer.
This Sunday, and every future Feb. 4, I invite you to promise yourself to do something to put an end to all cancers. There are many ways to do this, including donating, raising awareness, volunteering, educating, and most importantly, sharing your cancer story!
On this World Cancer Day, I can make my voice heard while making healthy life choices. What can you do?
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Note: Lymphoma News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Lymphoma News Today, or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to lymphoma.
