Introduction:
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) organize the day to promote ways to ease the global burden of the disease. They seek to prevent millions of preventable deaths annually through increased awareness about cancer. Also, the day focuses on the importance of providing the correct health information about cancer in general.
Facts:
- Cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide.
- Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally in 2015.
- Tobacco use is the most important risk factor for cancer.
- The most common types of cancer worldwide are: lung, liver, colorectal, stomach and breast cancer.
Statistics:
Globally:
Around 14.1 million new cases of cancer have been diagnosed in 2012, and according to estimates 8.8 million deaths recorded in 2015.
Locally: (As per the latest statistics of 2014)
The most common types of cancer among Saudi men and women:
- Breast cancer is ranked first at a rate of 15.9%.
- Colorectal cancer, 11.5%.
- Thyroid cancer, 8.2%.
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer, 6.4%.
- Leukemia, 5.9%.
- Liver cancer, 4%.
- Lung cancer, 3.9%.
- Hodgkin lymphoma cancer, 3.5%.
- Uterine cancer, 3.1%.
- Brain and nervous system cancer, 2.8%.
Objectives:
- Reduce premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025.
- Educate communities about cancer diseases and means to prevent them.
- Take a positive attitude to combat cancer at the level of individuals, community, governments and international organizations.
- Emphasize that solutions are possible and available, and we as individuals, government and non-governmental institutions and agencies can provide means of support, awareness and prevention of cancer.
- Harness efforts, capabilities and motivations for positive change and work to be open up to possibilities and expectations of positive impact on the global burden of cancer.
Official Date:
Globally: February 4th, 2018
Locally: Jumada al-Ola 18th, 1439H.
Theme of World Cancer Day:
We can ... I can
Target Group:
- Cancer patients and their families.
- Health professionals including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and health educators.
- Education professionals including teachers, social worker and others.
- Schools, institutes and universities.
- Health decision-makers.
- The public.
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