World Cancer Day brings message of hope
This year World Cancer Day (WCD) 2010 brings a positive message that some cancer can be prevented.
Today is WCD (4 February 2010) and it aims to promote the message that around 40 per cent of cancers are potentially preventable, and that humanity has more knowledge than ever about how to control cancer.
WCD is organized by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), and this year it will focus on how the risk of developing cancers related to tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, excessive sun exposure and obesity can be significantly reduced by avoiding these risk factors plus encouraging healthy behaviour such as regular exercise and eating healthily.
According to the UICC, every year 12 million people receive a cancer diagnosis and 7.6 million people die of cancer. If no action is taken, the worldwide cancer burden is projected to reach 26 million new diagnoses in the year 2030, and 17 million deaths, with the most rapid increases occurring in low- and middle-income countries.(Framework Convention Alliance)
More information
1.About WCD and to see how you can get involved in the day, visit the UICC’s web page.
2.MORE ON WORLD CANCER DAY
Follow this link #WorldCancerDay for more news and discussion about World Cancer Day happening now on Twitter. Add @control_cancer and follow C2CC on Facebook.
THEY CONTROL THE WORLD.
TELL THEM TO CONTROL CANCER.
Today, World Cancer Day, the Campaign to Control Cancer (C2CC) is urging world leaders to put cancer control on the agenda of the June 2010 G8 and G20 meetings in Canada.
Cancer control, with its emphasis on prevention, is an effective strategy for attacking the growing burden of disease, especially in the developing world:
- Today, more than 50% of new cancer cases and nearly two-thirds of cancer deaths occur in the low income, lower middle income and upper middle income countries of the developing world. By comparison, in 1970, the developing world accounted for 15% of newly reported cancers (Boyle and Levin [eds.] 2008).
- By 2030, the developing world is expected to bear 70% of the global cancer burden (Boyle and Levin [eds.] 2008).(Economist Intelligence Unit; “Breakaway: The global burden of cancer— challenges and opportunities”, pg. 8)
You can join us right now by e-mailing this message to Stephen Harper:
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EMAIL: pm@pm.gc.ca SUBJECT: Cancer control is on my agenda. It should be on yours. MESSAGE: Mr. Prime Minister, As host country for the 2010 global economic summit—and a global leader in cancer control—the Canadian Government has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share its knowledge and leadership by hosting a panel of leading international experts (including representation from low- and middle-income countries) to discuss global cancer control, and share experiences and best practices in minimizing its health and economic impact. Cancer control is on my agenda. It should be on yours. Sincerely, Note: please c.c. your correspondance to the address: advocacy@controlcancer.ca |
If you live outside of Canada you can send a similar message, asking your government leaders to make cancer control a priority of the 2010 global economic summit, and improve the health of people in the world’s most vulnerable regions.
All over the world, in growing numbers, cancer control is already on the public’s agenda. It should be on our leaders’. So tell them.
For more information visit our website: www.controlcancer.ca
Global Economic impact of cancer
To learn more about the global health and economic burden of cancer download the August, 2009 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
World Cancer Campaign 2010
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and the total number of cases globally is increasing.
World Cancer Day 2010, led by UICC, its members and with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to raise awareness of how we can prevent almost forty percent of the 12 million cancers diagnosed worldwide.
Visit the World Cancer Campaign website at: www.worldcancercampaign.org to learn more and to access resources you can use to help your family and community control cancer.
