World Cancer Day 2024: Date, theme, history and significance

World Cancer Day is celebrated every year on 4 February with the aim of making people aware and educating people about the increasing threat of cancer in the world. Cancer is one of the rapidly increasing serious and life-threatening health problems globally.

Theme of World Cancer Day 2024:

• Every three years, World Cancer Day and UICC announce a new campaign theme and specific focus.The theme  for the year 2022 to 2024 is “Close the Care Gap”.
• The theme of World Cancer Day 2024 is specifically ‘Together, we challenge those in power’.

Beginning of World Cancer Day:

• Celebrating World Cancer Day was initiated in the year 2000 at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium. The day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

Importance of World Cancer Day:

• This day highlights reducing the global impact of cancer. The day serves as a catalyst for a quicker and more effective response to the challenges posed by cancer globally.
• The importance of World Cancer Day is to prevent millions of deaths from cancer by dispelling cancer myths and working with governments to take action.

Cancer is the cause of every sixth death in the world:

• Global Burden of Disease data reveals 9.56 million premature cancer deaths in 2017.
• Cancer ranks as the second leading global cause of death, accounting for one-sixth of all deaths.

Cancer and its types:

• Cancer can arise from the uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in any part of the body.
• The risk of cancer increases due to heredity, environment, lifestyle disturbances, excessive exposure to chemicals.
• The risk of cervical and breast cancer is highest in women, while the risk of lung, prostate and colon cancer is highest in men.

The risk of cancer is higher in such people:

• Cancer results from DNA mutations within cells, influenced by various factors.
• Some unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking, alcohol consumption, excessive exposure to sun, obesity etc. can increase the risk of cancer.
• Genetics is also one of the major risk factors for cancer. Individuals with a family history of cancer may face an elevated risk of developing the disease.

Cancer Treatment:

• Health experts say, if cancer is diagnosed on time, the chances of its treatment and survival of the patient increases. There are many cancer treatments available. Cancer is treated through medicines, therapy, surgery depending on the conditions like type and stage.