February 4: World Cancer Day
Edward Johnson, hi-tech and engineering expert, February 4, 2026
Origin and Goals of World Cancer Day
World Cancer Day, established in 2000 by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in Paris, aims to mobilize the public around the importance of cancer prevention, screening, and treatment. The main goal is a 25% reduction in premature cancer deaths by 2026, in line with WHO commitments.
Main Types of Cancer Worldwide
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most common cancers are:
- Lung cancer: The leading cause of cancer death, accounting for about 1.8 million deaths a year.
- Breast cancer: With more than 2.3 million cases diagnosed each year, it is the most common cancer among women.
- Colorectal cancer: About 1.9 million cases are detected each year.
- Prostate cancer: Affecting mostly men over 50, it affects more than 1.4 million people a year.
- Stomach cancer: Very widespread in Asia, particularly Japan and South Korea, it is often caused by Helicobacter pylori infection and a diet high in salt.
- Liver cancer: Often linked to hepatitis B and C, it is especially common in Africa and Southeast Asia.
- Cervical cancer: One of the few preventable cancers thanks to the HPV vaccine.
Recent Medical Advances
- Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy improves cancer treatment by activating the immune system to attack cancer cells. The drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) has proven effective against certain lung and skin cancers. In 2022, a study by Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute in New York found that dostarlimab, a monoclonal antibody, achieved complete remission in 100% of patients with advanced rectal cancer, a first in medical history.
- Targeted therapies: Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which attacks all rapidly dividing cells, targeted therapies act only on cancer cells. The drug Lorlatinib, developed by Pfizer, has shown outstanding results against ALK-positive lung cancer.
- Cancer vaccines: In 2023, Moderna and Merck announced promising results for an mRNA vaccine against melanoma, cutting the risk of recurrence by 44%.
- CRISPR and gene editing: CRISPR technology can modify the DNA of cancer cells to make them more vulnerable to treatment.