World Cancer Day helps increase awareness towards cancer and promote early detection
Since as far back as we can remember, cancer has been the leading cause of mortality worldwide. World Cancer Day is observed annually on February 4 in an effort to combat the disease and the terror that the name conjures. World Cancer Day, which has the colours orange and blue as its theme, exhorts people to work together to fight the disease through early detection, treatment, and emotional support.
It is a global initiative that was first held in 2000 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its identification, prevention, and treatment. The human race is afflicted by more than 100 different types of cancer. Additionally, the concept of "one cure" seems a little difficult given that cancer is a class of diseases. In addition, the word "cancer" carries a foreboding connotation. World Cancer Day seeks to combat everything cancer brings and recognises that this can be extremely overwhelming.
As one of the most important factors of World Cancer Day is to advocate the importance of early cancer screening and many other factors. Continue reading as we share why early screening is important and must not be taken as an option.
World Cancer Day 2023: Why is early screening important?
An essential component of general healthcare is cancer screening. This is due to the fact that the best method to survive cancer is to identify it early on and eradicate it entirely from the body before the malignant cells spread to other parts of the body.
The goal of early cancer diagnosis is to identify symptomatic individuals as soon as possible to give them the best chance of a successful course of treatment. A reduced chance of survival, more treatment-related issues and higher cost of care are all consequences of delayed or inaccessible cancer therapy. By delivering care at the earliest possible stage, early diagnosis improves cancer outcomes, making it a crucial public health approach in all contexts.
Early diagnosis is one technique, while screening is another. It is described as the presumed detection of undiagnosed disease in a population of individuals who appear healthy and asymptomatic using tests, examinations, or other processes that may be quickly and cheaply administered to the target population. The entire screening process, from inviting the target group to providing access to effective care for those who are identified with disease, must be included in a screening program.
Cancer screening is a unique and more complicated public health strategy than early diagnosis, requiring more funding, infrastructure, and coordination. We advise against implementing screening programs unless their efficacy has been established, there are adequate resources to cover the target population, facilities are available to confirm diagnoses and guarantee treatment, and the condition is prevalent enough to warrant screening.
For fear of a good outcome, many people are reluctant to schedule cancer screenings. Sometimes people would prefer to remain ignorant than accept the truth that they have an illness in their bodies. But ignorance won't make the ailment go away; the only way to solve the issue is to take efforts to eliminate the disease from the body.
The first step in entirely eliminating the disease from the body is facing the anxiety of its potential presence. You will know for sure that you do not have the condition if the results are in your favour and show that it is not present. It may be discouraging to learn that you have the disease if the results are positive, but it is better to be aware of the situation so that you can take action to stop the disease's progress and entirely eradicate it before it causes additional difficulties.
Cancer screening tests can aid in the early discovery of the disease, which, as is well known, increases the likelihood of a successful course of treatment.
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