In addition to being Facebook's birthday, today is also World Cancer Day!
World Cancer Day is marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. It is led by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), a global consortium of more than 280 cancer-fighting organizations in over 90 countries. World Cancer Day targets the public through global communications marking, and encourages policy makers and UICC member organizations to make cancer a political priority. (from Wikipedia)
Across the internet and around the world, the members of the UICC, including the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, together with the World Health Organization have been asking how we will be marking World Cancer Day.
Today, I will be thinking of those I have lost to cancer, including Marcia who we lost last April:
I will be thinking of those that I am so grateful to still have with me, including my mom, a breast cancer survivor of two years:
And I am doing what I have always done - spreading the word about the need for more money for cancer research and encouraging everyone I know to get involved. Back on the National Day of Service, I wrote about a few ways that you can get involved in the fight against breast cancer. Today, I have another challenge for you: learn something new about cancer.
Take some time, whether its today or a few days from now and become a little bit more educated about cancer. And I'm not just talking about breast cancer, either. Look up how often you should have a pap smear or a prostate exam and why. Learn about the early warning signs of lymphoma, myeloma or other blood cancers. Find out which freckles are the sketchy ones that you should have checked out. Remind yourself what you're looking for on a breast self exam. Find out about why quitting smoking is the best thing that you can do for your health.
Learn the stats behind breast cancer or lung cancer or leukemia and use them in your fundraising endeavors or to motivate yourself to make a donation to an important cause.
Learn about your family history with all kinds of cancer.
The theme of World Cancer Day is "Cancer Can Be Prevented" and in my experience, the most effective tool we have to keep ourselves healthy and happy is to be educated. So that's my challenge for you today: learn something new about cancer.
For more information about how cancer can be prevented please check out this information pamphlet and visit www.worldcancercampaign.org/.
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