World Cancer Day

Cancer remains one of the European Union’s most pressing public health challenges. Every year, 2.7 million people are diagnosed with it, 1.3 million dies from it, and €49 billion in productivity is lost to it. Annual healthcare spending on cancer care and cancer control has now reached €93 billion in the 27 countries combined. This carries profound consequences not only for individuals and families, but also for health systems, economies, and society as a whole. World Cancer Day, on 4 February, provides an opportunity to take stock of progress made, the challenges that lie ahead, and to reaffirm our collective commitment to improving prevention, care, and quality of life for all those affected by cancer. Against this backdrop, the European Cancer Organisation is contributing to World Cancer Day through a series of policy, institutional, and community-focused actions taking place in the days leading up to and following 4 February. This is a pivotal moment for European cancer care. We’...

World Cancer Day is a reminder to come together to take action against cancer. Share your story, support those affected, and advocate for people-centred care. Your voice can inspire change! #WorldCancerDay #UnitedByUnique 

 On World Cancer Day , let’s honour those we’ve lost, support those living with cancer, and raise awareness for better prevention and treatment options. #WorldCancerDay #UnitedByUnique @worldcancerday

   Every story matters, and together we can make a difference. Share your story and inspire others! #WorldCancerDay #UnitedByUnique @worldcancerda

 I’ve learned that cancer is more than a medical diagnosis—it’s a deeply personal experience. I’m sharing my story in the hope that we can create a world where every person’s unique needs and views are recognised and supported. #UnitedByUnique #WorldCancerDay @worldcancerday

Whether you’re a person living with cancer, caregiver, or advocate, your experience matters. Share it and become part of a powerful movement to improve cancer care. #WorldCancerDay #UnitedByUnique @worldcancerday

   People-centred care means seeing the whole person and meeting their unique needs with compassion and empathy. #WorldCancerDay #UnitedByUnique @worldcancerda

People-centred care is more humane and effective, yet barriers stand in its way. To overcome them, we’ll need knowledge, hard work, and unshakeable dedication. We’ll need you. United in our goals, unique in our needs. Those words will be heard often throughout World Cancer Day activities. United by Unique means that everyone has unique needs, unique perspectives, and a unique story to tell, yet people touched by cancer are united in a shared ambition to lower the cancer burden , to see cancer treated successfully, and to lead better lives with cancer .  THIS ACTION TOOLKIT WILL EQUIP YOU WITH ACTIONS, RESOURCES, AND IDEAS TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR MARK. ON 4 FEBRUARY, YOU’LL BE READY TO JOIN US AS WE REIMAGINE CANCER CARE. #UNITEDBYUNIQUE #WORLDCANCERDAY WHAT IF IT WERE POSSIBLE TO REWRITE CANCER CARE? WHAT IF CARE COULD EMBRACE PEOPLE’S DIFFERENCES AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS SEEN FOR WHO THEY REALLY ARE AND HAS ACCESS TO THE CARE THEY NEED? THIS APPROACH HAS THE POWER TO CHA...

  CANCER IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH. NEARLY EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO WAS, IS, OR WILL BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY CANCER.  Improved awareness, better prevention, and more effective treatment and care could all save lives. Yet, the cancer burden continues to grow. By 2040, experts predict that new cancer cases will top 30 million if we don’t act . 1 IN 5 PEOPLE WILL DEVELOP CANCER DURING THEIR LIVES.  ABOUT 1 IN 9 MEN AND 1 IN 12 WOMEN DIE FROM THE CANCER IN 2022,  THERE WERE AROUND 20 MILLION NEW CANCER CASES IN THAT SAME TIMEFRAME,  CANCER CLAIMED 9.7 MILLION LIVES.  THE COST OF CANCER CARE HAS AN ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OVER $1 TRILLION. GET THE FACTS ABOUT CANCER !

  The United by Unique campaign will explore different dimensions ofpeople-centred care and new ways of making a difference . It’s about uplifting our unique needs and views while we join together to achieve our shared goals. Everyone has an important role to play: patients, loved ones, caregivers, friends, neighbours, practitioners, researchers, advocates, and allies. The campaign offers a three-year roadmap that begins with you. Building on the foundation laid in 2025, the World Cancer Day campaign in 2026 will go one step further and explore what changes are needed to achieve people-centred care.  The  Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) .

  Tha lack of access to healthcare can disrupt many areas of life, including job prospects, financial or family responsibilities, relationships, physical, sexual and emotional well-being. Its impact often extends beyond the individual, affecting caregivers, families, and entire communities. As the number of people affected by cancer continues to rise, so does the need to ensure services are accessible, appropriate, and adapted to individuals and populations that use them. MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY CANCER. IN 2022 ALONE, 20 MILLION PEOPLE WERE DIAGNOSED WITH THE DISEASE. FOR MANY OF THEM, CANCER BECOMES A LONG-TERM CONDITION THAT OVERLAPS WITH OTHER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AS WELL AS SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS, AND REQUIRES COMPLEX, ONGOING CARE

  People-centred care is about reorienting healthcare around people instead of diseases . It recognises that every person is unique, values their lived experience, and empowers them to actively participate in the decisionmaking process. It engages individuals, but also families and wider communities beyond the clinical setting: an approach that can improve health literacy and cancerprevention . It works. People-centred care promotes equity and inclusivity , leads to a higher quality of care and improved satisfaction , and fosters a more trusting relationship between individuals and healthcare workers while improving prevention and treatment outcomes . It works. People-centred care promotes equity and inclusivity, leads to a higher quality of care and improved satisfaction, and fosters a more trusting relationship between individuals and healthcare workers while improving prevention and treatment outcomes.  DISCOVER THE BENEFITS OFPEOPLE-CENTRED CANCER CARE 

Patient-centred care focuses on the individual as a patient within the healthcare system. Person-centred care considers the individual holistically, with the broader context of their life. People-centred care adds a focus on the health and well-being of entire populations or communities, aiming to improve healthcare systems and access for all.

  People-centred cancer care requires a profound and multifaceted transformation. Here are a few actionable changes can make a real difference PRINCIPLE 1: ENGAGE PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES PRINCIPLE 2: REORIENTING THE MODEL OF CARE PRINCIPLE 3: EQUITY, INCLUSION AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLE 4: CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR CANCER CARE REFORM

  Each year, hundreds of activities and events take place around the world, gathering communities, organisations and individuals in schools, businesses, hospitals, marketplaces, parks, community halls, places of worship - in the streets and online - acting as a powerful reminder  that we all have a role to play in reducing the global impact of cancer.

 Whether you’re a  person living with cancer , caregiver, family member or friend, advocate –  your story matters . You’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, what truly makes a difference.  That’s why we’re asking a few simple questions to gather voices from around the world. We want to understand what cancer care really feels like , across individuals, cultures, communities, and contexts .   Every experience of cancer is unique . But united, they can create something bigger. Stories can help shift the conversation, highlight the gaps, and push cancer care to become more compassionate and more human. Share your story!