The National Cancer Survivors Day is a holiday observed on the first Sunday in June month. The day is meant to exhibit that life after cancer diagnosis can also be productive and fulfilling. Nevertheless, it is mainly observed in the United States, the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation is trying to grow its popularity in other countries and have been successful also.
National Cancer Survivors Day is an annual, worldwide commemoration of life that is conducted in hundreds of communities across the United States, Canada, and other countries. Participants in this event exhibit the world that life after cancer detection also can be full of life and meaningful. NCSD is going to observe its 24th year in 2011.
The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation funds myriads of hospitals, support groups, and other cancer-related bodies that conduct National Cancer Survivors Day events in their groups by offering free guidance, awareness and networking.
Who is a Cancer Survivor?
The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation considers a “survivor” as someone living with a background of cancer. National Cancer Survivors Day allows your community an opportunity to exhibit that it has a meaningful, active and productive cancer survivor community.
How This Day is Celebrated
In the United States alone, it’s calculated there are 11 million cancer survivors. Healthcare clinics, support groups and other bodies are conducting events that observe the cancer patient’s life and also salute the contributions of the families, friends, scientists and health care professionals. The events will be diverse that will encompass parades, carnivals, art exhibits, contests, ball games, cultural programs, inspirational events and many more.
How it Impacts
Prominent advances in cancer prevention, early detection and treatment have led to longer survival. However, surviving cancer can leave an array of traumas in its wake. Physical, psychological, emotional, and financial hardships often survive for years after diagnosis and during treatment. Survivors may face many troubles including seeking advice from cancer specialists and opting new treatments, denial of life insurance coverage, financial crunches long after the first diagnosis and treatment, employment hardships, strain on personal relationships and the immense fear of recurrence. Although, cancer survivors can live happy, active and productive lives even though they still face several challenges.
Survival Statistics
The number of individual developed cancer in the United States has catapulted from 3 million in 1971 to more than 11 million today. Almost 68% of people detected with cancer today are expected to survive at least five years after their diagnosis. And, almost 14% of entire cancer survivors were diagnosed nearly 20 years ago. Most cancer survivors are above 65 today.
Average cancer survivors were earlier diagnosed with common cancers. For instance, 20% survivors had prostate cancer, 23% had breast cancer, 10% had colorectal cancer, and 9% had a gynecologic cancer like cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancers.
The increase in survival rates is attributed to four prominent developments:
Early detection and improved screening, like mammography for breast cancer, the prostate specific antigen test for prostate cancer, colonoscopy for colorectal cancer, and the Pep test for cervical cancer
Improvements in healthcare services in terms of treatment
Usage of more effective treatment of side effects, enabling it possible to offer patients more effective drugs of cancer
The invention of targeted therapies, which are more prominent and often less troublesome than standard chemotherapy
Fear of Recurrence
Fear of recurrence is very normal among most of cancer survivors. It may result in over-interpret the prominence of minor physical problems, like headache or joint stiffness. It is simply difficult to know what is termed as “normal,” and what requires to be reported to the doctor. Discussing the virtual risk of recurrence with your physician and the signs to report can often decrease a person’s curiosity. Following up your schedule of visits can also offer a sense of control. Albeit, many cancer survivors explain feeling scared and nervous during the routine follow-up visits, these feelings may simmer down with time.
Getting Back to “Normal”
Returning to work is a sign of resuming a normal routine and lifestyle, and 80% of people having a history of cancer return to work after cancer detection. Most of people require their job security and the health insurance it offers. Studies report little, if any, distinction in the work performance of cancer survivors. Nevertheless obvious discrimination has depleted there can yet be subtle discrimination.
When planning your return to work, it can be useful to anticipate queries from coworkers, and make up your mind how to answer these questions beforehand. Co-workers may wish to help but may not be aware of the ways. It may depend upon you to start the conversation and draw the limits. Divulging and discussing a diagnosis is a personal consideration.