The “World Cancer Day” initiative was lunched by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in 2000, which takes place every year on February 4th. On this day, various cancer science propaganda and education events are undertaken all around the world, aiming at advocating new approaches to facilitate cooperation among varieties of organizations, promoting progress in cancer research, prevention and treatment, so as to advance the benefit of the whole mankind.

　　The theme for the 2012 “World Cancer Day” is “Together it is possible”, which encompasses three implications. First, to appeal people to work together to prevent and treat cancers that are preventable and treatable, by making adequate use of professional treating institutions and technology, lobbying for more support from national healthcare policy and raising popular science awareness of the public. Second, to continue to promote technology R&D concerning cancer prevention and treatment, so that cancers that are not yet preventable and treatable become preventable and treatable ultimately. Third, to realize the ultimate target of reducing premature deaths from cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025.

　　The UN Summit on NCDs was held in New York in September 2011, when cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease were identified as the four main NCDs. In that summit, UN Member States probed into the current situation, harm and treating approaches of NCDs including cancer, and unanimously passed the Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. The Declaration recognizes the scale of the NCD crisis and states that the resources devoted to combating NCDs are not commensurate with the magnitude of the problem. It also points out the urgent need for actions from countries all over the world. The Declaration clearly acknowledges cancer as a unique disease in many respects by making comparison with other three main NCDs. It means that more complex and difficult problems need to be resolved for preventing and treating cancer compared with the prevention and treatment of other NCDs, and that higher work standard for cancer researchers and workers has been determined by the particular properties of cancer.

　　According to the 2010 data from the World Health Organization, the worldwide morbidity of cancer will increase by 50% by 2020, which means an increase of 15 million people every year. China accounts for 20% of cancer morbidity in the world, and the survival rate of Chinese cancer patients is only 13% which is much lower than developed countries. In addition, severe problems concerning cancer treatment still exist such as unbalanced distribution of cancer institution and public health workers. Therefore, cancer prevention and control work in China faces more severe challenges than other countries and more endeavors from Chinese cancer organizations and workers are imperative.

　　As the China Spoke of UICC, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA) will consolidate our commitment of “Uniting together in the fight against cancer” in our work in all respects. We will gather more opinions from medical institutions, academic societies and the public, and provide more constructive policy suggestions for the government, so as to unite varieties of strength to fight for the prevention and control of cancer and ultimately the benefit of cancer patients.