Each year on 4 February, WHO supports International Union Against Cancer (UICC) to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer. Preventing cancer and raising quality of life for cancer patients are recurring themes.
 

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention.
 

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is responsible for one out of every eight deaths worldwide - more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

The theme of World Cancer Day (4 February 2010) is: "Cancer can be prevented too", which focusses on simple measures to prevent cancer such as:
 

• no tobacco use
• a healthy diet and regular exercise
• limited alcohol use
• protection against cancer-causing infections

The World Health Organizations (WHO) warned yesterday that the global deaths from cancer will rise from 7.6 million this year to 17 million by 2030 if no “urgent action” is taken soon.
 

“There is a universal fear of cancer. But with the right frame of mind and by taking appropriate action, some cancers can be averted or cured,” said a senior WHO official.

WHO describes cancer as a “major killer” in the developed and developing nations, accounting for one in eight deaths worldwide — more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

Lifestyle changes and vaccines could prevent about 40 percent of all cancers, according to a new report by the International Union Against Cancer.
 

The document said rates of many leading types of cancers -- such as lung, breast and colon -- could be reduced if people quit smoking, limited alcohol intake, avoided too much sun, and maintained a healthy weight through diet and exercise, the Associated Press reported.