Tag Archive for: cancer awareness

Cancer Awareness Calendar 2024

January

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Blood Donor Month


February

National Cancer Prevention Month

Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month

World Cancer Day (February 4, 2024)

National Donor Day (February 14, 2024)

Rare Disease Day (February 29, 2024)


March

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Kidney Cancer Awareness Month

Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Day (March 3, 2024)

International Women’s Day (March 8, 2024)

Anal Cancer Awareness Day (March 21, 2024)


April

Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month

National Cancer Control Month

Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month

Minority Cancer Awareness Month

Minority Health Month

Testicular Cancer Awareness Month

World Health Day (April 7, 2024)

AML Awareness Day (April 21, 2024)


May

Bladder Cancer Awareness Month

Brain Tumor Awareness Month

Cancer Research Month

Clinical Trial Awareness Week

Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

Melanoma Monday (May 6, 2024)

Women’s Check-up Day (May 13, 2024)

Women’s Health Week (May 12-18, 2024)


June

Cancer Survivors Month

Cancer Survivors Day (June 2, 2024)

Men’s Health Week (June 10-16, 2024)


July

UV Safety Awareness Month

Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month


 August

Summer Sun Safety Month

World Lung Cancer Day (August 1, 2024)


September

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Uterine Cancer Awareness Month

Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month

Blood Cancer Awareness Month

Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

MPN Awareness Day (September 14, 2024)

World Lymphoma Day (September 15, 2024)

Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day (September 17, 2024)


October

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Liver Cancer Awareness Month

National Mammography Day (October 18, 2024)


November

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

National Family Caregiver Month

Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Month

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Stomach Cancer Awareness Month

From Awareness to Advocacy: How Social Media Platforms Raise Cancer Awareness

Social media is a powerful tool. While most of us use it casually or for entertainment purposes, it’s also a major resource for businesses and organizations.  

But, social media isn’t just a way for you to keep in touch with family and friends or to check out your favorite businesses. It can also be used as an incredible opportunity to spread awareness about important issues and causes – including cancer.  

Because of the community aspect of social media, it’s not only easy to spread awareness, but it’s possible to mobilize local communities across the world for advocacy.  

With that in mind, let’s look at how various social media platforms contribute to raising cancer awareness, and the impact they have on empowering individuals, advocacy groups, nonprofits, and more to become advocates for cancer-related causes.  

Recognizing the Power of Social Media 

Chances are, you’re on at least one social media platform. Many people are active on several. Almost everyone you know is probably involved with at least one, too. But, don’t just look to yourself or your inner circle to consider the power of these platforms. When you take a look at the numbers and start associating them with the spread of awareness, you’ll see just how powerful these platforms can be. Today’s top social media sites are:   

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • TikTok 
  • Pinterest 
  • Snapchat 
  • LinkedIn 

The interesting thing about these platforms is that they have different audiences. There’s some overlap, of course, and there is no age limit on who can use different social media sites. But, when you’re trying to spread awareness and boost advocacy, you have to consider who you’re talking to. For example, platforms like TikTok and Snapchat are going to feature a younger demographic.

That’s not a bad thing, it just might require you to adjust your message to different audiences. Your main goal, with any platform, should be to provide real, accurate information that builds trust. Unfortunately, there is so much misinformation out there nowadays, and every time it pops up on a social media platform, some people might believe it, setting back true awareness even further.  

Building Communities Through Social Media 

Interacting with your family and friends on social media is great, but if you’re trying to spread awareness about cancer, it’s important to branch out. Social media gives you the opportunity to connect with complete strangers and end up forming a community of friends – even if you’ve never met in person.   

There are plenty of online communities dedicated to awareness and advocacy, even from the American Cancer Society. Some of the largest organizations featured by the ACS include CaringBridge, Cancer Survivors Network (CSN), the National Cancer Information Center, (NCIC), and Reach to Recovery. Any of these options can help you find the support you deserve in an online setting, and while they each have their own website and/or app, they also have a strong social media presence that can help you connect with others who might be dealing with the same health issues.  

But, starting a grassroots community on social media can sometimes be more powerful. It’s honest and real without any hoops to jump through. People can invite their own friends and family, and it can continue to grow via word of mouth. It will give people the opportunity to speak freely, share their stories, and educate others along the way.   

While building a community is a great way to communicate with others, you can go further than that by connecting with caregivers or creating a safe place for caregivers to offer their services. You can create a community that fosters support throughout the diagnosis and treatment process. You could even provide regular information about cancer research and opportunities for treatment – if you’re willing to back up every claim with the help of healthcare providers.   

Your community could even be a source of comfort and inspiration for caregivers. They often need support and encouragement, even if it’s from a group of people online that understand what they’re dealing with every day.  

If you want your social media communities to grow, don’t hesitate to do a bit of marketing. Your goal should be to attract attention and get people talking. Once your community starts to grow, some of the most important rules for helping it to thrive include: 

  • Being responsive
  • Empowering followers to take action
  • Engaging with user-generated content 
  • Staying on-brand and being relatable

It’s also important for your community to feel safe and heard. It’s not always easy for people to open up online, and if you want nonprofit or advocacy groups to join you, they need assurance that their information and data will be kept safe. That’s especially true if they’re providing you with personal health stories or giving you financial information to boost awareness or grow your community.  

If you’re going to be in charge of an online community, be sure you understand the basics of cybersecurity. Things like installing risk-based management systems, utilizing advanced email security, and requiring multi-factor authentication to log in to certain back-end sites will help to keep you safe while protecting the information and data of your community.  

Taking Things Offline 

Building awareness via social media is only the first step. It’s an important one, and you could end up doing more for yourself and other people with cancer than you ever expected. It’s easy for some people with cancer to feel alone, or even hopeless. By fostering a community on social media, you can provide them with support, friendship, and understanding. You can connect them with others who might be in the same situation, or people who have beat the disease and are on the other side of it, enjoying life.  

But, at some point, it will be time to encourage the community you’ve built on social media to step out into the real world and take action.  

Advocacy in the real world takes many forms. It can be something as simple as volunteering for a support group, listening to and sharing personal stories, or even visiting those who have recently been diagnosed with cancer.   

When you’ve used social media to build a community, though, you can go even bigger with your advocacy efforts. Create events on your platforms designed to educate the public about cancer. They might include things like marches or gatherings, speaking at community centers, or attending events at schools or healthcare facilities to hand out accurate information and connect with others in person.  

You can also encourage your social media friends and followers to advocate on their own within their communities. The beauty of social media is that it spreads all over the world. People can help by:   

  • Participating in fundraisers
  • Donating money to a cancer relief group
  • Speaking with community groups
  • Communicating with local media 
  • Changing public policy

Again, social media is a powerful tool. While we might often view it as something fun, or even something we use to pass the time, it can be used for good – and even to change the world. Keep these ideas in mind to go from awareness to advocacy, and you could end up being a social media superhero.  

How To Participate in Cause Awareness Days: A Step-by-Step Guide For Patient Advocates

Taking part in cause awareness days can be a great way to get your message out. Cause awareness days are specific days (or weeks/months) dedicated to raising awareness and educating the public about a particular cause. People and organizations get to join together, use their collective voices, and make a difference.

In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to participate in cause awareness days more effectively to make a meaningful impact on behalf of your community.

Step 1: Identify relevant cause awareness days

Research and make a list of cause awareness days related to your disease or condition. This information can be found online and through patient advocacy groups. Several websites provide calendars of awareness days, such as the National Health Observances calendar maintained by the US Department of Health and Human Services and PEN’s Cancer Awareness Calendar 2023.

Tip: Don’t limit yourself to disease-specific awareness days. There are many ways to expand your advocacy efforts and engage a wider audience, for example, during days such as World Mental Health Day, International Women’s Day, and World Sleep Day.

Step 2: Plan your strategy

Decide how you will participate in each cause awareness day. Think about different ways you can make an impact, such as sharing educational resources, personal stories, or statistics, hosting fundraising events, speaking engagements, and conducting community outreach. Create a calendar to track your activities and stay organized.

Step 3: Create your content

Make your content engaging by following these tips:

  • Use graphics, videos, or infographics to make your content more visually appealing and engaging. Be sure to use high-quality images and videos that are relevant to your cause. 
  • Keep it concise. Attention spans are short, so keep your content short and to the point. Use bullet points and headers to break up text and make it easier to read.
  • Be sure to fact-check your content and cite credible sources. Misinformation can damage your credibility and harm your cause.
  • Tell a story. Stories are powerful tools for creating emotional connections with your audience. Share personal stories or anecdotes that help illustrate the impact of your cause.
  • Provide actionable steps. Your content should inspire your audience to take action. Provide actionable next steps to get involved or support your cause.

Step 4: Spread the word

A crucial part of raising awareness is spreading the word. To share your content effectively, follow these tips:

  • Share your content on your social media channels, and use hashtags to increase visibility. 
  • Email is still an effective way to communicate with your audience. If you have a list of email subscribers, share your content with them and encourage them to share it with their networks.
  • Collaborate with other patient advocates, organizations, or influencers who are participating in the cause awareness day. This can help amplify your activities and increase the reach of your message.
  • Reach out to local media outlets to share your story. Pitch a story to a reporter or submit a press release to local news outlets.
  • If you have a budget, consider using paid advertising to reach a more targeted audience. 

Step 5: Participate on the day

On the day participate in the activities you have planned. Don’t forget to use relevant hashtags and tag other organizations or individuals who are also participating. Be sure to respond to comments, messages, and mentions on social media. This can help build relationships and trust with your audience. 

Step 6: Follow up

This final step is often overlooked. However, to my mind, it’s one of the most valuable aspects of participating in cause awareness days. This is because it helps to build a community of advocates who are passionate about the cause and can support each other in their efforts.

Here are some ideas to follow up and build on the momentum of the day:

  • Send a message to those who participated in your activities and thank them for their support. Let them know how much their support means to you and to the cause.
  • Share the number of people you have reached with your online activities, your engagement rate, and other relevant metrics to demonstrate the impact of your combined efforts. 
  • Stay connected with those who participated in your activities and build relationships with them. Follow up with them throughout the year and invite them to participate in future activities.

Participating in cause awareness days is a powerful way for patient advocates to bring attention to critical issues that affect their communities, inspire change, and motivate others to join them. Yes, it takes planning and time, but the effort you put in is worthwhile when it contributes to the creation of a movement of passionate advocates that are committed to the same cause.

Cancer Awareness Calendar 2023

January

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Blood Donor Month


February

National Cancer Prevention Month

Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month

World Cancer Day (February 4, 2023)

National Donor Day (February 14, 2023)

Rare Disease Day (February 28, 2023)


March

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Kidney Cancer Awareness Month

Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Day (March 3, 2023)

International Women’s Day (March 8, 2023)

Anal Cancer Awareness Day (March 21, 2023)


April

National Cancer Control Month

Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month

Minority Cancer Awareness Month

Minority Health Month

Testicular Cancer Awareness Month

World Health Day (April 7, 2023)

National Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (April 11-17, 2023)

AML Awareness Day (April 21, 2023)


May

Bladder Cancer Awareness Month

Brain Tumor Awareness Month

Cancer Research Month

Clinical Trial Awareness Week

Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

Melanoma Monday (May 1, 2023)

Women’s Check-up Day (May 8, 2023)

Women’s Health Week (May 14-20, 2023)


June

Cancer Survivors Month

Cancer Survivors Day (June 4, 2023)

Men’s Health Week (June 12-18, 2023)


July

UV Safety Awareness Month

Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month


 August

Summer Sun Safety Month

World Lung Cancer Day (August 1, 2023)


September

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Uterine Cancer Awareness Month

Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month

Blood Cancer Awareness Month

Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

MPN Awareness Day (September 14, 2023)

World Lymphoma Day (September 15, 2023)

Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day (September 19, 2023)


October

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Liver Cancer Awareness Month

National Mammography Day (October 20, 2023)


November

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

National Family Caregiver Month

Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Month

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Stomach Cancer Awareness Month