International Cancer Day is celebrated on 4 February. Such a holiday appeared on the initiative of the International Union Against Cancer. The main goal of the event is to refute myths and misconceptions about this disease.
Cancer Day goals
The ultimate goal of all measures is to reduce mortality from cancer. Prevention is an important step in the fight against cancer, therefore it is given special importance. Many medical institutions often have decades dedicated to Cancer Day, when you can get screened for free in order to detect a malignant tumor at the earliest stage and begin timely treatment. The main task during the holiday is to convey information about cancer to the population, since there are many misconceptions on this topic.
Key events on Cancer Day
There are four key cancer myths that the World Health Organization is battling. First, this disease is spoken of as a purely medical problem. Secondly, there is a belief that mainly older people in developed countries suffer from cancer. In fact, more than half of deaths occur in developing countries. Thirdly, many are afraid of cancer, as they believe that it is incurable and leads to one hundred percent death. Although modern medicine has already proven that cancer patients can be completely cured. Finally, fourthly, cancer is treated as a fatal event that cannot be prevented. This is not true. There are effective preventive methods that can help you stay healthy for life.
Cancer Day aims to dispel these myths. WHO and the International Union Against Cancer develops and implements special educational programs, thanks to which people receive reliable and objective information. In some countries, primary health care is not always available to the population. The UICC is actively working to improve its level, this will reduce the number of deaths as a result of the disease.
In addition to educational programs and improvements in primary care, there are various anti-cancer activities designed for a wide audience. These are, first of all, anti-tobacco campaigns, promotions, and commercials. It is very important to convey the correct opinion about smoking to the population, especially since almost a third of smokers consider the harmful effects of nicotine on the body to be greatly exaggerated.
Anti-cancer campaigns are also aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles. Since obesity is one of the disease-provoking factors, people's attention is focused on increasing physical activity. Healthy eating commercials are being produced, focusing on the predominance of fruits and vegetables and the reduction of salt and fat in the diet.
