We are now into the time of the year when there are a good number of holidays going on, either occurring about
now or upcoming. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here in no time, for example.
But then the idea of calendar dates being designated in various ways, such as for holidays, somehow got me to wondering about
just what and how many are the months and days of the year that have been officially designated by somebody for some other reasons.
Such as the times designated to reflect on or work for progress on specific cancers.
Specifically, using data from the link below, these are the months and days on the calendar that have been specifically set aside as awareness dates for the indicated cancers:
JANUARY
National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
FEBRUARY
National Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month
National Cancer Prevention Month
World Cancer Day
MARCH
Kidney Cancer Awareness Month
Myeloma Awareness Month
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Day
International HPV Awareness Day
APRIL
National Cancer Control Month
National Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week
Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
National Minority Cancer Awareness Week
MAY
Bladder Cancer Awareness Month
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
National Cancer Research Month
Melanoma and Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
World No Tobacco Day
JUNE
Cancer Immunotherapy Awareness Month
National Cancer Survivors Day
JULY
UV Safety Awareness Month
Sarcoma Awareness Month
National Leimyosarcoma Day
AUGUST
World Lung Cancer Day
SEPTEMBER
Blood Cancer Awareness Month
World Lymphoma Awareness Day
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week
National Previvor Day
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month ***************************************************
OCTOBER
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week
National Mammography Day
National Liver Cancer Awareness Month
NOVEMBER
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
National Carcinoid Cancer Month
Worldwide Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Day
National Family Caregivers Month
National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
Stomach Cancer Awareness Month
At first glance, it does seem like a lot of designated dates, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Having a specified date for a particular cancer does provide a point in time for planning activities, promotions, meetings, celebrations, etc. around it, and if many different cancers have such a point on the calendar as an organizational target time for doing these kinds of things, then let them benefit from it.
But it does seem useful to at least be aware of these dates, and to hope that they do provide a helpful framework for the operations of the organizations associated with these cancers.
https://www.cancerhealth.com/page/cancer-awareness-months-days#:~:text=world%20cancer%20day%20is%20an%20initiative%20of%20the,long-term%20goals%20including%20improving%20treatment%20and%20survival%20rates.