By Paulo Loreto Lim

Established through the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium, which took place in 2000 in Paris, World Cancer Day, observed every February 4, seeks to promote cancer research, raise awareness, and mobilize the world in an effort to combat the disease.

According to The Paris Charter, which was penned following the summit, “Since cancer knows no boundaries and individual countries cannot address the challenges of cancer in isolation, a new co-operative approach to research, advocacy, prevention, and treatment must be established.”

The organization behind World Cancer Day, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), encourages the public to get involved, offering a variety of methods including posting an update about the day on social media, volunteering to translate World Cancer Day campaign materials, writing an op-ed or blog, among other activities.

“[World Cancer Day] is a day we can all come together to say something about cancer,” said UICC CEO Cary Adams. “A disease that will kill 9.6 million people this year.”

This year’s theme is “I am and I will.”

Adams explained, the words indicate that anybody, whether they be an individual, government, organization, can declare: “I am something and I will do something.”

Last December, the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City opened the Riverside Bacolod Cancer Care Center, which provides consultation, radiation therapy, brachytherapy, and survivorship counseling.

According to an earlier report, the facility is expected to be fully operational this month./PLL, WDJ