Under the banner "We can” and “I can," Rethink Breast Cancer has launched a multi-pronged campaign to coincide with World Cancer Day on Feb. 4. The Toronto-based organization is encouraging advocacy to health care policies, connections with young patients, and changes to a healthy lifestyle.
To take its action-inspired initiative around the world, Rethink Breast Cancer has teamed up with the Union for International Cancer Control, or UICC, a collective of a thousand organizations in 160 countries comprised of the world's major cancer societies, ministries of health, research institutes, treatment centres and patient groups.
There are several options offered by Rethink Breast Cancer, an organization devoted to bringing bold, relevant awareness of breast cancer health for the 40s-and-under crowd. There will be two social media conversations to be accessed on Feb. 4: - #worldcancerday and #wecanican, on three separate social media platforms: Twitter - @Rethinktweet; Facebook - /rethinkbreastcancer and Instagram - @rethinkbreastcancer
Putting the collective first: We Can: Inspire Action, Take Action is an invitation to join Rethink as they bolster the breast cancer movement.
We Can: Improve Access to Cancer Care: Rethink advocates changes to health care policies to improve access to treatment and care for all breast cancer patients.
I Can: Ask for Support: Connect with other young women who are suffering from breast cancer for support and community so they don't have to go through their ailment alone.
I Can: Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Reduce your risk or improve your recovery by learning about breast cancer, breast health and healthy habits in which you can engage.
That includes exercise, which women are encouraged to share on social media at #wecanican, as well as your acts of change and awareness, which might motivate others to life a healthier lifestyle, make some smart changes and unite to improve the lives of everyone impacted by the disease.
According to Rethink, one in nine Canadian women will develop breast cancer by the time they reach 90 years of age, with 5 percent of diagnoses affecting women under 40.
The mandate of the UICC, founded in 1933, is to take the lead in advocating initiatives that unite the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda - encouraging governments to implement and improve the quality of sustainable programs that address global cancer.
The UICC, based in Geneva, Switzerland, claims that 8 million people will die of cancer in 2017, and if left unchecked, the yearly number of deaths will grow to 13.2 million yearly by 2030.
In its World Cancer Declaration, the UICC is calling for nine goals to be achieved by 2025, including:
Universal vaccination programs for Hepatitis B (HBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) to prevent liver and cervical cancer;
Dramatic reductions in the emigration of health workers with specialist cancer training;
Universal availability of effective pain medication;
Dispelling myths and misconceptions about cancer.
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