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Mahesh

05/02/23 08:19 AM IST

WORLD CANCER DAY

In News
  • World Cancer Day is observed annually on February 4 to raise awareness about the disease and its prevention.
  • Cancer is the leading cause of death globally and claims millions of lives every year.
About World Cancer Day
  • Theme- Close The Care Gap
  • World Cancer Day is marked on February 4 by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), a non-governmental international organisation dedicated towards uniting the cancer community and reducing the burden of cancer globally.
  • In 1999, Dr Gabriel Hortobagyi, Professor David Khayat, Dr Peter Harper, and a committee of oncologists got together in Paris to discuss the approach to fight cancer.
  • Following this, the World Summit Against Cancer was created to inspire efforts to combat cancer.
  • A year later on February 4, government officials, oncologists, and other stakeholders attended the Summit giving birth to the Paris Charter Against Cancer.
  • The charter designated February 4 as World Cancer Day “so that each year, the Charter of Paris will be in the hearts and minds of people around the world.
Significance
  • According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is a large group of diseases that can impact any part of the body. It is characterised by the abnormal growth of cells which can spread to other organs of the body and invade the adjoining parts.
  • Close to 10 million people died due to cancer in 2020 where lung cancer was the most common cause claiming 1.80 million lives, as per WHO.
  • In 2020, India reported over 27 lakh cancer cases and in 2022, 14.6 lakh new patients were recorded.
  • While cancer can be life threatening, many cancer patients can be cured if the disease is detected early and treated properly.
  • Tobacco is the cause of over 40-types of ailments, including cancer.
  • Smokers inhale 30% of the smoke while those around them are forced to breathe the remaining 70%.
Source- Indian Express

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