World Cancer Day falls on February 4, 2018. It is a day for the world to come together and raise awareness about cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. The tagline for the day is “We can. I can.” discussing what we as a global society can do, and what we as individuals can do. As individuals, we can take care of ourselves and have regular check-ups and screenings. We can offer love and support to friends and family battling this disease. We can support each other in our efforts to return to normal life: going to work, handling our day to day activities. We can make our voices heard by sharing stories and struggles that we have faced, so those beginning their cancer journey know they are not alone.
As a global society, we can be the example we want others to be. We can stand up for those who have cancer. Create a healthy and safe environment in our workplaces and schools. Be open to the idea of those battling cancer returning to work by making accommodations so that they can return to their duties and become productive members of society again. Teach our children through classroom learning and by example how to take care of ourselves by eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight. If we are in the high-risk category, then we can show how important it is to get regular screenings and understand our bodies to know when something isn’t right. We can be accepting of those who have cancer, so they don’t feel stigmatized and feel the need to hide in the shadows.
We need break down the walls that prevent those who need to be checked from passing on screenings and treatment. Cancer care and prevention should be affordable and accessible to all individuals. World Cancer Day is a day to shine a light on these truths and bring the world together to join forces and discover better treatments, earlier detection options, and work to find a cure for all of the cancers that plague society.
World Cancer Day information can be found at http://www.worldcancerday.org. In previous years, World Cancer Day brought individuals together to show solidarity to those fighting cancer by either actually going bald or going virtually bald. Certain salons participated in the event, and others chose to go to their own salon and use a hashtag with a before and after photo to show cancer patients worldwide that they were not alone and we are all in this fight together.
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