National Cancer Survivors Day: A Day Honoring Survivors!
National Cancer Survivors Day is observed each year on the first Sunday in June.
In honor of National Cancer Survivors Day, people far and near will be coming together to celebrate life, inspire and support those battling cancer, provide guidance for the families and caregivers of cancer patients, show gratitude to medical professionals, and demonstrate to the world that it’s possible to thrive after cancer.
National Cancer Survivors Day helps to bring awareness to some of the common struggles faced by people battling the disease, improve cancer-survivor legislation, increase resources, and promote research. All are worthy initiatives, and the latter, of course, is of special interest to the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR).
Additionally, the Day also celebrates advances in treatments, which are leading to a growing number of cancer survivors. As such, the excitement and mission of the Day can provide helpful motivation for those who are considering donating to cancer research.
There are over 15.5 million cancer survivors in the U.S. today. Due to an increase in treatment effectiveness and an aging and expanding population, this number is projected to increase to 20.3 million by 2026. This growth is tremendously encouraging. However, it does raise some important questions regarding post-cancer care.
Beating cancer is often considered the final step of an intensive cancer-fighting journey. However, the health journey doesn’t end when the cancer does. Substantial bone loss, pain, and lack of function due to surgery, immune suppression, fatigue, and general distress, among other uncomfortable symptoms, can persist for years following. On this Day, it’s important to refresh our compassion towards cancer survivors and show them that we recognize their continued struggles. In addition, as a community, we can help to connect survivors with resources that can help them continue their health journeys.
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National Cancer Survivors Day is the perfect opportunity to come together to demonstrate and celebrate the possibility of success. This Day can help deepen support networks by connecting people from all areas of the community. Finally, it can help to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges for cancer survivorship and can inspire new solutions to these challenges.
