World Cancer Day 2022

We all have that special someone that is fighting or has fought cancer, or we have been touched by it. It is amazing how research and development in science and technology has positively impacted the playing field and more cancers are now treatable. Tomorrow is World Cancer Day and I’m bringing you information on how this day has evolved over the years.

Every year on February 4th people from all over the world unite to raise awareness and take action to for World Cancer Day. It is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration written in 2008 and has transformed several times throughout the years. The declaration calls upon government leaders and policy makers to significantly reduce the global cancer burden, provide better equity to cancer services, and integrate cancer control into the global health and development agenda.

The first World Cancer Day was held in Paris on February 4, 2000 at the World Cancer Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium. It was there that the Charter of Paris Against Cancer was signed by Director of UNESCO and then President of France Jacques Chirac. Created to promote research, prevent cancer, improve patient services and establishing February 4th as this day.

Every year three years there is a theme and 2022s new three-year campaign is “Close the Care Gap”. It’s about raising awareness about the lack of equity in cancer care and the barriers many people face accessing services they require.

Each year more than 900 events take place in over 100 countries and social media has been able to increase awareness through technology. In the past few years cities have begun to support the day by lighting up important landmarks in orange and blue, the official colours of World Cancer Day.

Facts about Cancer:

• 10 million people die of cancer every year

• 70% of deaths occur in low-to-middle income countries

• 1/3 of common cancers are preventable

• Cancer is second-leading cause of death worldwide

• There are three types of cancer tumours

  1. Benign – not cancerous and rarely threaten life. Grow slowly and don’t spread to other parts of body. Usually made of cells similar to healthy cells. Only cause problems when they grow very large and press on organs, such as brain tumour inside a skull

  2. Malignant – are fast growing and have the ability to spread and destroy neighbouring tissue, known as metastasis. Upon invading the new site they continue to divide and grow which is referred to metastatic cancer.

  3. Precancerous (or premalignant) is the condition involving abnormal cells which may (or is likely to) develop into cancer

• Cancers are classified according to the type of cell they start from. There are five main types:

  1. Carcinoma – starts in the epithelial cells (the lining of cells that help protect or enclose organs). May invade surrounding tissues and organs and metastasis to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body. Most common in this group are breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer

  2. Sarcoma – tumour of the bone or soft tissue (fat, muscle, blood vessels, & nerves). Most common are leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma and osteosarcoma

  3. Lymphoma and Myeloma - these cancers begin in the immune system. Lymphoma is in the lymphatic system which runs all through the body and can occur anywhere. Myeloma or multiple myeloma starts in the plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies to fight infection. This cancer can affect the cell’s ability to produce antibodies effectively

  4. Leukemia – is a cancer of the white blood cells and bone marrow, the tissue that forms blood cells

  5. Brain and spinal cord – these are known as central nervous system cancers. Some are benign while other can grow and spread

• Cancers can be caused by different factors and as other illnesses, most cancers are the result of exposure to a number of different causal factors. It is important to remember that, while some factors can’t be modified, around 1/3 of cancer cases can be prevented by reducing behavioural and dietary risks. You can learn more about the risk factors at National Cancer Institute

• With many different types of cancers, the symptoms vary dependent on where the disease is located. However there are some key signs we should be looking for:

  • Unusual lumps or swelling

  • Difficulty swallowing

  • Changes in bowel habit

  • Unexpected bleeding

  • Unexplained weight loss

  • Fatigue

  • New mole or changes to mole

  • Trouble urinating

  • Unusual breast changes

  • Appetite loss

  • Persistent heartburn or indigestion

  • Heavy night sweats

It is so important to be connected to our bodies so we can notice things that are happening and we can take action to see our doctor for further investigation. Our chances of full recovery rises when we get to the root cause early. Therefore we can’t be afraid to bring anything to our doctor and work with him/her to ensure we stay healthy. It’s our body and we must take care of it.

Have a great day everyone and live life well ALWAYS!