World Cancer Day

On 4 February 2021, we celebrate the 21st World Cancer Day – a date that was established 21 years ago during the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium in Paris. Cancer is one of the most frequent cause of death globally and invariably represents a significant challenge to public health around the world.

Growing number of cancer patients

The number of cases of malignant neoplasms in Poland have more than doubled in the last three decades, reaching over 140,500 cases in 2010, of which approximately 70,000 in men and 70,500 in women. The most common neoplasms in men are lung neoplasms, accounting for about 1/5 of cancer cases. It is followed by prostate cancer (13%), colorectal cancer (12%) and bladder cancer (7%). Among the ten most common cancers in men there are cancers of the stomach, kidney, larynx, leukemia, and lymphoma. Among women, the most frequent cancer is breast cancer, which accounts for over 1/5 of all cancer cases. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in women (10%). Lung cancer is the third (9%). Then there are endometrial (7%), ovarian (5%), cervical, kidney, stomach and thyroid neoplasms. According to the latest data of the National Cancer Registry in 2017, there were almost 165,000 cases of malignant tumors in Poland.

World Cancer Day in 2021

This year, due to the restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, most of the planned in-house events, such as seminars, open doors in oncology centers, etc., will not take place. However, in return, many events and online meetings are planned to relate to World Cancer Day. This is a good time to stop for a moment in the daily rush, to express symbolic solidarity with people struggling with cancer, and to take care of your own health. This year's Cancer Day is also an opportunity to talk about oncology, which during the COVID-19 pandemic is facing completely new challenges.

Prevention of oncological diseases

Early detection is very important for the treatment of oncological diseases. The sooner we visit the doctor, the greater are the chances of effectiveness and success of the therapy. What tests should be performed regularly to increase the chance of early detection of one of the most common cancers?

• Prevention of early breast cancer – mammography
• Prevention of early detection of cervical cancer – cytology
• Prevention of early detection of colorectal cancer – colonoscopy

Experts predict that the situation related to the pandemic will have a negative impact especially on cancer patients. Postponing a visit to a doctor or avoiding contact with a specialist, or not carrying out preventive examinations, may result in a significant increase in the number of oncological patients after the pandemic, which will be a big test for the health service. The conclusion from the cancer data is that we should test ourselves regularly, eat healthy and take care of ourselves. It is worth remembering both on every day and on such occasions as World Cancer Day.