Cancer Survivors, Local Communities to Raise Awareness
On Sunday, June 6, 2021 – National Cancer Survivors Day® – cancer survivors and supporters around the world will unite to recognize cancer survivors, raise awareness of the ongoing challenges cancer survivors face, and celebrate life.
Cancer affects everyone. With nearly 17 million people living with and beyond cancer in the U.S. today – and more than 43 million cancer survivors worldwide – everyone knows someone whose life has been touched by cancer.
On Sunday, June 6, 2021, people around the world will come together to recognize these cancer survivors, and to raise awareness of the challenges of cancer survivorship. This day will mark the 34th annual National Cancer Survivors Day®.
National Cancer Survivors Day® is an annual worldwide Celebration of Life that is held on the first Sunday in June. It’s a day for everyone to join in solidarity with cancer survivors around the world, to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges cancer survivors face because of their disease, and – most importantly – to celebrate life.
According to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, administrator for the celebration, “A ‘survivor’ is anyone living with a history of cancer – from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life.”
“Over the last few decades, we’ve made great progress when it comes to cancer survival and that is absolutely something we should celebrate” says Foundation spokesperson Laura Shipp. “However, life after cancer is about more than just survival. Cancer survivors want to live well, to have a good quality of life.
“As many survivors will tell you, the effects of cancer don’t end when treatment does. Cancer survivors face ongoing, often long-lasting, hardships because of their disease. On National Cancer Survivors Day®, we want to raise awareness of these challenges of cancer survivorship. NCSD is a Celebration of Life, but it is also a call to action for further research, more resources, and increased public awareness to improve the lives of cancer survivors.”
The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation is encouraging everyone – cancer survivors, caregivers, healthcare professionals, family members, and friends – to join the worldwide celebration.
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic may change how we commemorate NCSD. However, it will not stop us from celebrating cancer survivors and raising awareness of the challenges of cancer survivorship. You can connect with cancer survivors and supporters around the world on Sunday, June 6, by using the hashtag #NCSD2021 and following National Cancer Survivors Day® on Facebook (Facebook.com/CancerSurvivorsDay), Instagram (@cancersurvivorsday), and Twitter (@survivorsday).
In addition, many communities and cancer organizations are taking their NCSD celebrations online or hosting socially distanced events. To find out how your community is celebrating, contact the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation. You can also host a celebration of your own using the resources available through the National Cancer Survivors Day® website, ncsd.org.
The nonprofit National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation offers free guidance, education, networking resources, and assistance to hundreds of hospitals, support groups, and other cancer-related organizations that host official National Cancer Survivors Day® celebrations. The Foundation’s primary mission is to bring awareness to the issues of cancer survivorship in order to better the quality of life for cancer survivors.
As the number of cancer survivors continues to grow, it is becoming ever more important to address the unique needs of this population. In addition to facing a serious illness, cancer survivors must contend with rapidly rising drug costs, inadequate insurance coverage, difficulty finding or keeping employment, and ongoing physical, psychological, and financial struggles that persist even after treatment ends.
The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, along with NCSD 2021 national supporters Agios, Amgen, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Bluebird Bio, Bristol Myers Squibb, ConvaTec, Coping with Cancer magazine, Elekta, Exelixis, GE Healthcare, Janssen, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Novocure, and Taiho Oncology is encouraging citizens across the globe to stand with these survivors on National Cancer Survivors Day® and make a commitment to addressing the challenges of cancer survival.
“Fifty years ago, cancer advocates helped get the National Cancer Act signed into law. This Act changed how we treated cancer in America. It changed what it means to be diagnosed with cancer,” says Shipp. “Now, for many people, cancer is no longer the death sentence it once was. People with cancer are living many years beyond their initial diagnosis. That’s why it’s vital that we work to ensure cancer survivors are not forgotten once treatment ends. It’s not just the length of life that matters, but also the quality of that life.”
Leading up to National Cancer Survivors Day®, the NCSD Foundation urges everyone to spread the message that life after cancer is about more than just survival.
The following is a suggested post for your social media sites:
Life after cancer is about more than just survival. It’s not just the length of life that matters, but also the quality of that life. Join us as we #CelebrateLife and raise awareness of the challenges of cancer survivorship on National Cancer Survivors Day, June 6. #NCSD2021
National Cancer Survivors Day® 2021 is supported nationally by Agios, Amgen, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Bluebird Bio, Bristol Myers Squibb, ConvaTec, Coping with Cancer magazine, Elekta, Exelixis, GE Healthcare, Janssen, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Novocure, and Taiho Oncology.
About the Foundation
The nonprofit National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation offers free guidance, education, networking resources, and assistance to hundreds of hospitals, support groups, and other cancer-related organizations that host National Cancer Survivors Day® events in their communities. The Foundation’s primary mission is to bring awareness to the issues of cancer survivorship in order to better the quality of life for cancer survivors.
About National Cancer Survivors Day®
National Cancer Survivors Day® is an annual, treasured Celebration of Life that is held in hundreds of communities nationwide, and around the world, on the first Sunday in June. On National Cancer Survivors Day®, thousands gather across the globe to honor cancer survivors and to show the world that life after a cancer diagnosis can be fruitful, rewarding, and even inspiring. NCSD offers an opportunity for all people living with a history of cancer – including America’s 17 million cancer survivors – to connect with each other, celebrate milestones, and recognize those who have supported them along the way. It is also a day to draw attention to the ongoing challenges of cancer survivorship in order to promote more resources, research, and survivor-friendly legislation to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
Source: National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, ncsd.org
