Every 4 February, World Cancer Day is observed around the world. A date created 26 years ago with the aim of raising awareness, promoting prevention and supporting all people who live with this illness.
On such an important day, social networks and the media are filled with data: the number of people affected, types of cancer, possible causes and risk factors. This information is essential to understanding the scale of the problem, but it can sometimes cause us to lose sight of what truly matters.
Because behind every figure there is a story, a face and a voice. A person who is currently fighting the disease, either directly or from the supporting side: family members, partners or friends of a person living with cancer. And this is precisely where this year’s theme places its focus, highlighting that every person and every cancer story is unique.
Under the theme “United by Unique”, World Cancer Day invites us to put people at the centre and to reflect on the fact that, although cancer is a common cause, each experience is different and deserves care, respect and dignity.
At Sisters Hospitallers, we join this message, which strongly reflects the values of our congregation, where care is centred on the person, guided by hospitality, closeness and support.
For many people reading this article, cancer is not a distant reality or just another illness. Either because they have experienced it first-hand or because it forms part of the story of someone close to them. And the data confirms this.
Worldwide, according to 2022 estimates, 20 million new cancer cases were diagnosed and almost 10 million deaths were caused by the disease. It is also estimated that one in five people will develop cancer during their lifetime, and that one in nine men and one in twelve women will die from it.
Although cancer is a global problem, significant inequalities remain. Low- and middle-income countries continue to be the most affected, largely due to limited or non-existent access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment services.
Cancer is a multifactorial disease. There is no single cause or factor that explains its development. However, evidence shows that certain actions can help reduce its incidence. According to the World Health Organization, four in ten cancer cases could be prevented.
Reducing risk factors is essential. And although it may sound obvious because we have heard it many times, habits such as quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy diet, reducing alcohol consumption and engaging in regular physical activity remain key to preventing the disease.
On this World Cancer Day, Sisters Hospitallers would like to express our full support to all those who are fighting, or have fought, against cancer. We know that cancer is far more than statistics. Behind every diagnosis there is a family, a life and a story, filled with joys, fears, challenges and hopes.
Today, more than ever, we are United by Unique.
