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World Cancer Day – a time for concerted efforts to fight cancer

4 Feb 2025 world cancer day By HUBERT VAZ

The new World Cancer Day theme 2025-2027 – United by Unique – places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the conversation

When 35-year-old Sunita, from India, discovered a lump in her breast, her world came shattering down as she worried about the future of her five-year-old son… She then decided that cancer would not define her existence and resolved to fight back, and soon realised that she was healthy and strong again. Sunita’s convictions were, however, reinforced by the support she derived from other survivors and support groups.

Similar stories have been shared by other survivors, like Afni from Indonesia, who says,Cancer changed the way I see life – it taught me resilience, gratitude, and the importance of living in the moment,” or Elise, from South Africa, who was too embarrassed to tell people that she was diagnosed with cancer but later became a volunteer and counsellor for children and teenagers.

On the occasion of World Cancer Day, observed worldwide on February 4, the message is loud and clear that cancer is not a lone battle, rather it is a collective crusade wherein families stand by victims while communities offer support and care in many different ways to help the victims, their family members as well as survivors to be informed, educated as well as rehabilitated.

The World Health Organization has estimated that with effect from the year 2020, 20 million new cases of cancer will emerge each year. Of these, 70% will live in countries that between them will have less than 5% of the resources for cancer control. So, cancer will continue to become an increasingly important contributor to the global burden of disease as we enter the next millennium, despite the fact that many cancers are preventable through control of tobacco use, diet, infection and pollution.

It is estimated, for instance, that infections – many potentially preventable – cause 15% of cancer worldwide and 22% of cancers in the developing world. The use of tobacco similarly causes millions of new cancers and cancer deaths each year, in both the developed and the developing world. This reality emphasises the need for development of public policies that support the fight against cancer and urgent deployment of existing knowledge and technologies in the basic prevention of cancer to stem the rising tide of disease.

On this day, parties that support the goals of World Cancer Day – an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) undertake to:

  • Actively support existing cancer prevention programmes globally and build awareness and commitment to cancer prevention across all constituencies they represent.
  • Identify opportunities to accelerate public education in tobacco control, diet modification, infection control and environmental protection.
  • Organise the support of industry and governments to enhance the delivery of cancer prevention through medical technology wherever possible.

It is an uncontested fact that early detection of cancer for any or all of the two hundred or more varieties, leads to a better outcome for the patient. Importantly, the treatment of several recognisable pre-cancerous conditions also can prevent cancer.

Fear and ignorance of signs and symptoms of cancer or precancerous conditions are common, however, and by its nature cancer can be insidious and difficult to detect without a screening intervention. It is also known that early detection is particularly important for those people at high risk of cancer, due to lifestyle, environment, occupation, family predisposition or low socio-economic status.

Recognition that the earliest symptoms of cancer can be confused with common illnesses further emphasises the need for effective screening and attentive medical diagnosis.

Screening methodology to identify cancer early can extend from simple observation, laboratory tests and x-ray examinations to more sophisticated examinations, all of which have proven value in the early detection of several cancers.

In addition to education about cancer prevention, implementation of screenings programs – within economic possibilities – should be a prime objective to reduce the cancer burden. These screening programmes must be coupled with access to quality treatment in order to be effective.

Improving patients’ quality of life is a primary objective in the effort against cancer. Both the physical and emotional burdens of cancer can be significant, and often they are compounded by the side effects of treatment. Because clinical outcomes can be affected by the overall state of a patient’s mental and physical well being the preservation of quality of life – including physical, psychological and social functioning – should be a medical as well as a humanitarian priority.

It also must be noted that while giant strides have been taken to improve cure rates in the last 20 years, the majority of the world’s cancer patients today do not experience a cure. Also, when cancer is not curable, important quality of life advantages still can be achieved through optimal anti-cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy) and supportive care, including pain and fatigue management, and end of life palliation.

Controlling a global burden

World Cancer Day is an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) – the largest and oldest international cancer organisation dedicated to taking action on cancer. UICC unites and supports the cancer community in its efforts to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity and ensure that cancer control remains a priority on the global health and development agenda. 

Founded in 1933 and based in Geneva, Switzerland, UICC has more than 1120 member organisations in over 172 countries and territories. The membership base includes the world’s major cancer leagues and societies, research institutes, treatment centres, hospitals, ministries of health, public health agencies and patient support groups.

Cancer – a deeply personal matter

Cancer is, more than a dreaded disease, a deeply personal matter.

Behind every diagnosis lies a unique human story – stories of grief, pain, healing, resilience, love and more. That’s why a people-centred approach to cancer care that fully integrates each individual’s unique needs, with compassion and empathy, leads to the best health outcomes. 

The World Cancer Day campaign this year will explore different dimensions of people-centred cancer care and new ways of making a difference. It will offer a three-year journey from raising awareness to taking action. 

‘Every experience with cancer is unique and it will take all of us, united, to create a world where we look beyond the disease and see the person before the patient,’ the official website  of this observance says. ‘This World Cancer Day, let’s come together to rewrite the future of cancer care – one where the needs of people and communities come first.’

It encourages survivors to come forward to share their own stories. ‘Every experience with cancer is unique and it will take all of us, united, to create a world where we look beyond the disease and see the person before the patient. A world where the needs of people and communities are at the centre of health systems,’ it says.

(Courtesy: worldcancerday.org)

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