World Cancer Day gives us a chance to reflect on what we can do, make a pledge and take action.
No matter who you are – a cancer survivor, a co-worker, a carer, a friend, or a student – and no matter what you choose to do, ‘We can. I can.’ make a difference in the fight against cancer.
Here are the facts about cancer:
- Cancer is a disease that knows no boundaries and has, or will, affect us all either directly or indirectly during our lifetime.
- Actions taken by every person, organisation and government will help reduce the burden of cancer to achieve the goal of a 25% reduction in premature deaths from NCDs by 2025.
- Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for 8.8 million deaths per year. However, we know that more than one third of these deaths are preventable, and if detected early enough, many cancers are curable.
- Until cancer awareness is improved globally and actions are taken to prevent and treat the disease, millions of people around the world will die unnecessarily every year.
- We must act now because the global cancer epidemic is enormous and set to rise. It is predicted to increase from 14.1 million in 2012 to 19.3 million cases per year in 2025.
Here is what we can and I can do.
- Early detection saves lives. Be aware on Childhood cancer warning signs
Image via worldcancerday.org
Diagnosing cancer isn’t always easy – not all cancers show early signs and symptoms and other warning signs can appear quite late when the cancer is advanced. However, increasing awareness of signs and symptoms and the importance of timely treatment has been shown to improve survival from cancer. This is because finding cancer early almost always makes it easier to treat or even cure.
2. Everyone can take steps to reduce their risk of cancer by choosing healthy options including quitting smoking, keeping physically active and choosing healthy food and drinks.
Reducing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and other sources, such as solariums, also greatly reduces the risk of many skin cancers.
Everyone can make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce their risk of cancer.
“We must all work together if we are to free the world from the pain and suffering of cancer. The American Cancer Society has made significant contributions to the remarkable progress we’ve seen in the U.S. In addition, as a global leader, we continue to share our expertise in cancer prevention and treatment to help save more lives. On this World Cancer Day, we can make a difference for millions of people everywhere by committing to actions that will reduce the global threat of the disease.”
Gary Reedy, CEO American Cancer Society
