World Cancer Day is marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. It is led by the Union for International Cancer Control, a global consortium of more than 470 cancer-fighting organisations in over 120 countries. World Cancer Day targets the public through global communications, and encourages policy makers and UICC member organisations to make cancer a political priority.

World Cancer Day (WCD) is the one singular initiative under which the entire world can unite together in the fight against the global cancer epidemic. WCD takes place ever year on 4 February. WCD aims to help save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer, and pressing to governments across the world to take action against the disease.

World Cancer Day 2012 is particularly important as it falls almost half a year after the first High-Level UN Summit on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and the signing of the Political Declaration supporting prevention and control of these devastating conditions, which includes cancer. WCD is therefore a key opportunity for everyone affected by cancer to work together to ensure that world leaders stick to the promises they made at the UN Summit in relation to reducing the impact of cancer.

In addition, WCD 2012 is a crucial vehicle for people around the world to use to convince their governments to commit to reducing avoidable deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025 - a target the World Health Organization believes to be achievable, but that significantly was not included in the UN Political Declaration on NCDs.Put simply, because the global cancer epidemic is huge and is set to rise. Every month 600,000 people die of cancer and many of these deaths can be avoided with increased governmental support and funding for prevention, detection and treatment programmes. Unless urgent action is taken to raise awareness about cancer and develop practical strategies to address the disease, millions of people will continue to die prematurely from the disease.