The Partnership celebrates World Cancer Day

On World Cancer Day, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer is hosting an invitational one-day event exploring innovations in the areas of cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and person-centred care.

Participants will hear from a variety of experts in the cancer control community, including Vice President of Cancer Control Dr. Heather Bryant and past Partnership chair and the current President of the Canadian branch of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research Dr. Simon Sutcliffe.

World Cancer Day is an annual event that unites cancer stakeholders from around the world to raise awareness of cancer globally. It is coordinated by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and is supported internationally by the world’s major cancer societies, ministries of health, research institutes, treatment centres and patient groups, including the Partnership.

The Partnership is also sharing the results of a national poll showing 94% of Canadians support a national strategy to reduce the burden of cancer.

Taking place under the UICC’s tagline “Not beyond us,” World Cancer Day 2015 is an opportunity to reflect on the ways working together on a national plan is bringing us closer to a future where are fewer Canadians faced with cancer.

More than 85% of respondents to the Partnership’s poll said addressing cancer should be a priority for the federal and provincial governments; more than half said it should be a high priority.

Canadian priorities for addressing cancer

Canadians believe the national cancer plan should prioritize providing timely access to cancer treatments, timely and effective access to cancer screening and spreading the use of effective prevention techniques, according to the poll.

The survey found that Canadians hold high future expectations for the impact of a national cancer strategy and consider reducing the incidence of cancer through prevention and early detection a top priority.

Good progress has been made in educating Canadians on cancer prevention, screening and care, improving access to high quality cancer information and improving support to cancer patients and their families, respondents said.

Nearly half of all respondents who had personally experienced the cancer care system within the past five years said they were “extremely satisfied” with their experience of investigating symptoms or screening for the presence of cancer. Some 42% said they were “extremely satisfied” with their experience accessing different treatments in a timely fashion.

Nielsen Consumer Insights surveyed 2,543 Canadians by telephone on behalf of the Partnership between Nov. 6 and Dec. 3, 2014, yielding a margin of error of plus or minus 1.94% at the 95% confidence level. The data was weighted to be nationally representative of the Canadian population.

Join the virtual conversation at #WorldCancerDay or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for updates.

The CN Tower in Toronto will be lit in blue and orange on February 4, 2015 to recognize World Cancer Day.