World Cancer Day is held every year on Feb. 4 to raise awareness of cancer and encourage its prevention, detection and treatment. The international awareness day aims to catalyze collective action to work toward a world where preventable cancer deaths are saved and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care is equitable for all.
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide. Up to 50% of cancer cases can be prevented through lifestyle changes, such as not smoking, healthy diet and exercise.
This year's World Cancer Day theme, "Close the Care Gap," is all about making sure leaders make a commitment to prioritizing cancer, creating innovative strategies designed to confront inequity and investing resources to achieve a just and cancer-free world.
The University of Florida Health Cancer Center is closing the care gap through leading-edge research that directly impacts patient outcomes, allowing patients access to the very latest cancer-fighting technologies and drugs.
In addition, the Cancer Center is partnering with the community to reduce the cancer burden in the 23 counties it serves through novel outreach and engagement programs. These programs and services span the cancer care continuum — from prevention to survivorship — and are tailored to meet the community's needs.
"On the intermediate and long-term horizons, the UF Health Cancer Center is closing the cancer care gap through effectively directing innovative discovery and translational research efforts at our region's most pressing and unmet cancer needs," said Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., the Phyllis Kottler Friedman Professor in the Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery and the associate director for translation and innovation at the UF Health Cancer Center. "In parallel, we are achieving an immediate impact through strengthening the ties with our surrounding communities, particularly those that are underserved, and effectively linking individuals with resources, information and access to excellent and comprehensive cancer care."
Here's a look at recent news and research on how the center is closing the care gap by:
