National Cancer Awareness Day [7th November]

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Nov 2, 2022, 12:01

National Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated in India on 7th November to spread awareness regarding cancer and its early signs and symptoms. There are around a million new cases of cancer in India every year. So, National Cancer Awareness Day can be the right time to discuss cancer prevention and spread awareness about the disease.

Early cancer detection can increase the chances of survival for the cancer patient. Therefore, awareness must be spread regarding the early signs of cancer on days like National Cancer Awareness Day. Learn more about this day, its history, and its significance here.

National Cancer Awareness Day 2022

National Cancer Awareness Day is an annual observation in India done to spread awareness about cancer. Cancer claims the lives of thousands of people every year in India, and many of the patients lose their lives because of late treatment. Through Cancer Awareness Day, people can be made aware of the early signs of cancer, which can lead them to get timely treatment. This can reduce the fatality rate and can save many lives.

Here is some more information about National Cancer Awareness Day:

Event Name	National Cancer Awareness Day
Celebrated On	7th November each year
Where is it Celebrated?	India
Established By?	Ministry of Health, Government of India
Aim of the Day	To spread awareness about early signs of cancer and the positive outcomes of timely detection of cancer.

National Cancer Awareness Day 2022 Theme

National Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated on a national level. Although this day is observed nationwide, no specific theme is set for the day. The observance of the day revolves around spreading information regarding cancer, its types, and early detection. The National Cancer Awareness theme is to make more and more people aware of the right information and inspire confidence in them.

However, Cancer Day is also celebrated on a global level as well, and this year’s Cancer Day theme 2022 was “Close the Care Gap.” It indicated there is a gap in caregiving for cancer patients, which should be met to make it comfortable for the patient. It also points towards the need to come together to beat cancer since it is a disease that takes a mental toll on the patient and their caregivers.

History of Cancer Awareness Day

National Cancer Awareness Day was started by the former Union Health Minister of India, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, in 2014. The date 7th November was chosen for Cancer Awareness Day because it coincides with the Nobel Laureate Marie Curie’s birth anniversary. Marie Curie was born on 7th November 1867 and is known for the development of radiotherapy for cancer treatment.

Since cancer is so prevalent in India, National Cancer Control Programme was launched in the country in 1975 to provide cancer treatment facilities. Now, the focus of organizations working for cancer relief is to spread correct information about cancer to people and help with the early detection of cancer. Therefore, National Cancer Awareness Day is observed each year.

National Cancer Awareness Day Significance

Cancer Awareness Day is significant because this day is all about spreading awareness regarding cancer and initiating a public discussion. Here is how it can help people:

Knowing more about the different types of cancer and their early signs can keep a person alert.
It can help people take early signs and symptoms of cancer seriously and rush to their doctor for timely treatment of the disease.
Being aware of the disease and paying attention to the signs can help in saving a person’s life as late detection of cancer is why many patients do not survive.
A public discussion about cancer on National Cancer Awareness Day can help people break the stigma and fear regarding this disease.
It is a day to make your near and dear ones aware of cancer.

How is Cancer Awareness Day Celebrated?

The focus of National Cancer Awareness Day is on making people familiar enough with early and detectable cancer symptoms. This helps with the early detection of cancer, and, subsequently, improved chances of survival. Here is how people celebrate Cancer Awareness Day:

Many government hospitals and municipal clinics conduct free cancer screening on this day.
To spread public awareness about cancer signs and symptoms, organizations and NGOs conduct public workshops.
People circulate booklets with information about cancer and its symptoms.

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FAQs on National Cancer Awareness Day

Q1. When is National Cancer Awareness Day celebrated?

National Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated every year on 7th November in India. This day is celebrated to spread awareness regarding cancer and its early signs with the motive of encouraging early detection of the disease.

Q2. What is the National Cancer Awareness Day theme 2022?

National Cancer Awareness Day theme revolves around spreading the word about the early signs and symptoms of cancer and motivating people to pay attention to these signs. Besides that, there is no official theme set for this day.

Q3. When was National Cancer Awareness Day celebrated for the first time?

National Cancer Awareness Day was celebrated for the first time in 2014 when the former Union Health Minister of the time, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, announced the day. Since 2014, Cancer Awareness Day has been celebrated every year in the country.

Q4. Why do we celebrate National Cancer Awareness Day?

We celebrate National Cancer Awareness Day because cancer is a deadly disease that claims the lives of thousands of people because of late detection and late treatment. When people are more aware of the early signs and symptoms, they can get treatment on time.