World Cancer Day 2020: History, Significance, and Theme of Cancer Day

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to support its prevention, detection, and treatment and is a chance to encourage the international community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer. In 2020 theme for world cancer day is – “I am and I will”.

World Cancer Day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to help the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008. The day is seen by the United Nations. The essential goal of World Cancer Day is to fundamentally decrease disease and death caused by cancer.

World Cancer Day targets misinformation, raises awareness and lessens stigma. Various activities are run on World Cancer Day to show support for those influenced by cancer. One of these movements is #NoHairSelfie, a global movement to have “hairticipants” shave their heads either physically or virtually to show a symbol of courage for those experiencing cancer treatment. Pictures of members are then shared all over web-based life. Many occasions around the world likewise happen.

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a collection of diseases where uncontrolled development of cells begins, because of which trillion of cells is formed. As we realize that human cells develop and divide to form new cells according to the necessity of the body. At the point when cells become old or harmed, they die and new cells have their place. In any case, in cancer, it doesn’t occur. When in a body, cancer creates, cells become abnormal, old cells as opposed to dying, survive and when there is no requirement for new cells, at that point additionally they created. These additional cells partition and separate and develop into tumors.

Reasons for cancer

Different sorts of cancer are there and reasons for creating it are additionally unique. On the off chance that you are taking medicines for any serious sickness, at that point because of the side effects of these medications, you may get cancer, yet there are some different reasons additionally like –

• Smoking
• Tobacco Chewing
• Overweight
• Non-nutritious eating routine
• Not doing exercise … and so on

Symptoms of Cancer

• Sore throat
• Frequent coughing
• While eating trouble in swallowing
• An uncontrolled lump of any sort in the body
• The flow of water or blood from any part of the body
• Moles development increments and changes its color
• No long term recovery of any injury
• Loss of hunger
• Losing or gaining weight with no reason
• Feeling of tiredness or laziness constantly
• Difficulty or excruciating urination…etc.

It would not be wrong to say that awareness is the greatest thing to evade a serious disease like cancer and to avoid cancer, it is additionally critical to have a healthy lifestyle and food.

Key Facts about Cancer

• According to the figures published on the official site of world cancer day, consistently about 9.6 million individuals die from cancer.
• It has likewise referenced in its report that at least 1/3 of common cancers are preventable.
• Low middle-income nations are responsible for 70 percent of cancer deaths.
• It is imperative to actualize appropriate strategies since it can save up to 3.7 million lives.
• There are five types of cancers – Carcinoma, Sarcoma, Lymphoma and Myeloma, Leukemia and Brain and spinal cord cancers.

World Cancer Day History

First World Cancer Day was praised in 1933 in Geneva, Switzerland under the direction of Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). This was organized with the help of some notable cancer societies, treatment centers, research institutes, and patient groups.

That time as indicated by the report, around 12.7 million individuals were suffering from cancer, and around 7 million individuals were losing their lives every year because of cancer. World Cancer Day was seen to control this lethal disease.

• UICC was established in the year 1933. It has its headquarters in Geneva. It is a membership-based association dealing with Cancer around the globe and aiding in medical research. Every year they focus on three main areas: the biannual Cancer Congress, World Cancer Leader Summit and World Cancer Day.

The idea for World Cancer Day began at the first World Summit Against Cancer that was held in Paris, France in 2000. During this meeting, delegates from various worldwide governmental agencies and cancer associations signed the Charter of Paris Against Cancer Agreement. This charter outlined ten distinct articles that outline how the global community is focused on improving the quality of life of cancer patients and looking for a conclusion to cancer itself. The tenth article of this charter established the 4th of February as World Cancer Day.

Mustafa World Cancer Day was established on 4 February 2000 at the World Cancer Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium, which was held in Paris.

The Charter of Paris Against Cancer, which was made to promote research, prevent cancer, improve patient services, likewise incorporated an article establishing the anniversary of the document’s official signing as World Cancer Day, was signed at the Summit by the then General Director of UNESCO, Kōichirō Matsuura, and afterward French President Jacques Chirac in Paris on 4 February 2000.

World Cancer Day is marked by the international cancer community, governments and people the world over. Every year, over 900 activities happen in more than 100 different nations, with the day itself a trending theme on Twitter.

In recent years, cities have started to help the day by illuminating significant milestones in orange and blue. In 2019, 55 landmarks in 37 cities partook in the milestone lighting activity.

At least 60 governments formally observe World Cancer Day.

2020 World Cancer Day Theme

The 2019-2021 campaign theme is ‘I Am and I Will’. The theme looks to counter the negative attitude and fatalistic conviction that there is no hope about cancer and rather promotes how our behavior can be incredible and effective. This year marks the 20th year from the beginning of the activity.

This theme features the value of each person to battle against cancer. It is an empowering call-to-action asking individuals’ commitment to take action to save the future. The theme likewise recognizes that we all can battle against cancer.

In 2016, World Cancer Day began a three-year campaign under the slogan of ‘We can. I can.’, which investigated the intensity of group and individual activities to diminish the effect of cancer. Before 2016, the campaign themes included “Not Beyond Us” in 2015 and “Debunk the Myths” in 2014.

How to celebrate World Cancer Day?

Government and non-governmental associations are arranging different camps, lectures, and seminars at every level all through the world for the prevention of cancer. A few policies, control measures are implemented and individuals join the campaign in masses. The fundamental objective of the occasion is to spread a message to the average citizens about cancer. UICC gives a toolkit that consists of templates, leaflets, and direction of different associations for better help. World Cancer Day occasion is praised every year with a specific theme to make it more outcome arranged and to lessen death ratio. In our nation, such a large number of campaigns are being run to spare individuals from cancer. In India on 7 November Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated nationally.

Individuals, businesses, governments, and non-profit associations cooperate on World Cancer Day to enable the overall population to become familiar with the various kinds of cancer, how to look for it, medications, and preventative measures. Different activities and occasions include:

TV, radio, online, and newspaper ads, and articles that emphasize the battle against cancer.

Across the nation, campaigns focused on parents to assist them with minimizing the danger of cancer within their families.

Breakfasts, lunch get-togethers, or suppers planned for raising funds for cancer research, or projects that help to battle cancer. A large number of these occasions include keynote speakers or video presentations.

Public information booths including data kits, fact sheets, booklets, posters, and different things that promote cancer awareness, prevention, hazard decrease, and treatment.

A few nations utilize World Cancer Day to promote campaigns on different cancer issues, for example, breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer and cancer in children. Much focus goes towards awareness and hazard decrease.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which is the coordinating and planning health expert for the United Nations (UN), works with associations, for example, the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) on this day to promote approaches to facilitate the global burden of cancer. Recurring themes throughout the years focus on preventing cancer and raising the quality of life for cancer patients.

World Cancer Day is essentially celebrated by health associations, governmental organizations and cancer awareness groups which organize camps, awareness programs, seminars and lectures everywhere throughout the world. Common individuals can get included by spreading the news about World Cancer Day to your loved ones and via web-based networking media; by offering cash to cancer research programs and by engaging in huge numbers of the occasions that are held on this day.

Individuals can likewise recognize this day by wearing one of the cancer awareness ribbons. A multi-colored ribbon or lavender ribbon can be worn to recognize all cancers or a particular color ribbon for a particular type of cancer can be worn. Different color ribbons represent various types of cancer – as appeared by the chart below.

Cancer Awareness Ribbons:

• Multi-colored: All cancers
• Gold: Childhood cancer
• Lavender: All cancers
• Purple: Pancreatic cancer
• Purple: Bladder cancer
• Violet: Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Yellow: Bone Cancer
• Pink: Breast cancer
• Orange: Kidney cancer/Leukemia
• Dark Blue: Colon cancer
• Light Blue: Prostate cancer
• Amber: Appendix cancer
• Grey: Brain cancer
• Teal: Ovarian cancer
• Emerald: Liver cancer
• White: Lung cancer/Cervical cancer
• Black: Melanoma cancer