February 4th is World Cancer Day

 

 

Not only is February the National Cancer Awareness Month for the United States, but for February 4^th, we recognize it as World Cancer Day.

            Cancer obviously doesn’t affect just Americans but other countries’ citizens as well. Across the globe we find other treatments, discoveries, and medical breakthroughs on cancer more than just the United States. Cancer awareness is more than letting people know the kinds of cancer, but the harms and early detection signals. It is about knowing the types of cancer screenings given, the treatments offered, and all of the tedious research done around the world but in your backyard at UAB.

            Millions of people have been affected by cancer, but we are making it our job to eliminate cancer as a public health problem by the year 2050. In order to get your brain rolling here are some interesting facts you probably didn’t know about cancer.

Several factors increase the risk of cancer, including tobacco use, pollutants, certain infections, radiation, obesity, and lack of physical exercise.

Smoking causes an estimated 90% of lung cancer. Tobacco has killed 50 million people in the last decade. If trends continue, a billion people will die from tobacco use and exposure this century, which equates to one person every six seconds.

One in eight deaths in the world is due to cancer. Cancer causes more deaths than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined.

Lung, prostate, and stomach cancers are the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men. Breast, cervix, and colorectal cancers are the most commonly diagnosed cancers in women.

The American Cancer Society estimates 577,190 people will die from cancer in the U.S. per year, or more than 1,500 people a day.

While some of these statistics are scary, they are very much true. In most cases cancer can be treated if caught early or just by maintaining a healthy lifestyle such as exercising, not smoking, and being up to date with medical check-ups. Researchers have suggested that early detection is anyone’s biggest weapon to stopping cancer. Cancer treatment is easier when done in early stages of the cancer inception.

Cancer research is also hugely important to impacting the world. With donations, grants, and funding, cancer centers such as UAB can find treatments and impact others with new discoveries. Opportunities such as the ArtBlink Gala coming up on February 28^th is a great way to support cancer research, as well as fund-raising events through local, state and national organizations willing to help fight cancer.

With today being World Cancer Day, hug those you know affected by cancer and take care of your personal health so you’re not one of every three people in the world diagnosed. You can find more information online at www.3ccc.uab.edu.