We Need to Talk About Kidney Cancer (Guest blog)
What is World Kidney Cancer Day?
World Kidney Cancer Day is celebrated around the world every year on the 3rd Thursday of June by patients, carers, healthcare professionals and local organisations. It’s a day dedicated to raising awareness of the local and global impact of kidney cancer, educating people about the disease, and making a difference in the lives of kidney cancer patients.
Established in 2017, World Kidney Cancer Day was created by the International Kidney Cancer Coalition, an independent international network of patient organisations that focus exclusively, or include a specific focus, on kidney cancer.
Why do we have World Kidney Cancer Day?
Kidney cancer is a serious disease that affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide and is resulting in a growing global burden on healthcare systems. The worldwide incidence of kidney cancer has continued to rise since the 1970s.
Despite the significant effect kidney cancer has on patients and healthcare systems around the globe, in many countries it is a little-known type of cancer with many unanswered questions related to prevention, risk factors, and treatment practices. Greater awareness can help drive the changes that will make a difference in the lives of people currently affected by kidney cancer.
World Kidney Cancer Day also provides national organisations, researchers, and supporters with an opportunity to highlight local issues related to kidney cancer, such as access to information, affordable treatments and the need for increased research funding.
World Kidney Cancer Day Theme: We Need to Talk About Kidney Cancer
Each year World Kidney Cancer Day embraces a new theme related to the global burden of kidney cancer that allows organisations to unite with a common message and call to action.
World Kidney Cancer Day 2020 will be celebrated on 18 June. This year’s theme is physical activity. IKCC affiliate organisations from around the world will be working together to raise awareness of how vital physical activity is for both the prevention and treatment of kidney cancer.
For more information about World Kidney Cancer Day, contact Julia Black at julia@ikcc.org
