A Future Without Cancer – World Cancer Day 2023
Cancer affects us all. Regardless of our age, our gender, our location in the world, we all know someone who has been impacted by some form of cancer. Cancer is a critical world health issue, that sadly kills 10 million people each year, and it is predicted that this number will rise to 13 million deaths per year by 2030. It is time to act now, for a future without cancer. February 4 marks World Cancer Day, and this year, the aim is to Close the Care Gap, and encourages people to give what they can. Did you know that as little as one second of your time can help in the fight to reduce and wipe out cancer? Here’s what you can do in a second, a minute, 5 minutes or a little longer, depending on what you can provide.
1 second: make a donation. Your contribution will help to train health care professionals, educate communities in need, and establish cancer treatment programs where they are most needed.
1 minute: Get personal. Start a conversation about cancer with family, friends, and colleagues. Make a social media poster and share your voice!
5 minutes: Be an advocate for action. Write to political parties, ask them to show their commitment. Educate yourself and others about preventative measures.
More time: Challenge yourself and others. Join a World Cancer Day 5k challenge, spread the word by writing a blog, an article or a video message highlighting the importance of World Cancer Day.
As you can see, even a small amount of your time can add up to making a big difference.
On a more personal level, you can take steps to become more informed about how cancer may affect your life, with the help of EasyDNA Australia. There are a range of cancer related DNA tests that will assess and estimate your risk of developing a range of cancers.
GeneType Multi Risk Cancer Test – This test assesses your risk of developing breast, ovarian, prostate and colorectal cancer (as well as coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes). Your results will provide you with an easy to read and understand report that includes your absolute risk score, which is a representation of your risk, depending on the disease. It will be used by your medical provider to make decisions about risk-reducing strategies. It will also include recommendations on referral, and risk-reducing interventions including screening, lifestyle, medication options based on your risk level.
GeneType Ovarian Cancer Test – Because Ovarian cancer often doesn’t lead to noticeable symptoms until late in the disease, this test empowers women by increasing their awareness of the disease. This is the only test that gives you a comprehensive and highly accurate risk prediction score based on your own genetic markers for ovarian cancer risk, your age, family history of ovarian cancer, and BMI.
All-In-One Health Discovery Testing Package: a comprehensive test which can provide access to a variety of genetic information, covering areas such as your ancestry, personality traits, physical functioning, response to different nutrients, and importantly, your predisposition to diseases such as cancer.
So, this World Cancer Day, we can all take action for ourselves, our loved ones, and those that we may never meet. A second, a minute, 5 minutes or longer can be the first steps in striving for a cancer free future. Change begins with a ripple and ends with a wave.