World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day Facts & Quotes

• The theme for World Cancer Day in 2023 was Uniting our voices and taking action, and for 2024 will be Together, we challenge those in power.
  
• 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.
• Childhood cancers are not common. Less than 1% of all cancer diagnoses in a given year will be for a child under the age of 15.
• 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.
• Since cancer knows no boundaries, and individual countries cannot address the challenges of cancer in isolation, a new cooperative approach to research, advocacy, prevention and treatment must be established - Paris Charter

In the News and Trending for World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day Top Events and Things to Do

• Watch a documentary about cancer and cancer related topics. Some interesting ones are: Cancer: The Forbidden Cures (2010), Understanding Cancer: The Enemy Within (2012), and The Quest for the Cures Continues (2015).
• Understand the risks of smoking and urge those that you know to quit smoking. Smoking is the cause of 22% of the cancers every year.
• Donate to cancer research organizations. The American Cancer Society accepts donations that help with patient treatment and exhaustive research in the hopes of curing cancer.
• 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

World Cancer Day References and Related Sites