The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) has introduced the new 2025 to 2027 United by Unique campaign, calling for a fundamental shift in cancer care and health systems across the world toward a people-centered approach in light of World Cancer Day. World Cancer Day takes place on February 4 of each year.
Background
In 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million cancer-related deaths. Cancer encompasses more than 200 disease types and requires specific treatments. About 20% of individuals may develop cancer in their lifetimes; however, every patient’s life situation differs in terms of socioeconomic background, values, and preferences.
Overview of New Campaign
To better tackle patient differences, people-centered care—which differs from patient-centered care—addresses individuals and communities instead of just the disease. This approach is designed to deliver health and cancer services at the right time and place and with the appropriate strategy tailored to each patient’s individual needs. The people-centered care method also engages and empowers patients to have a more active role in their own health.
People-centered care includes efforts such as community health programs aimed at managing local health issues, cultural competence training for health-care providers, health literacy initiatives, telemedicine services, patient navigation programs, and engagement of patients who have experienced cancer to shape policies.
The UICC hopes this approach can lead to improved patient well-being, higher quality care, increased trust in health-care providers, greater satisfaction among patients and their families, and enhanced health equity and overall effectiveness of health-care systems.
The goal in the first year of the 3-year campaign is to highlight barriers and gaps in health systems as well as existing best practice delivering people-centered care. The campaign is designed to support individuals affected by cancer globally as well as the UICC’s members, partners, and organizations working to improve cancer policies worldwide.
Conclusions
“By placing individuals and communities at the center of decisions, health systems become more effective and cancer care more compassionate, leading to higher survival rates and improved quality of life. Every person touched by cancer is unique in their experiences and requirements. The cancer community is united in its determination to see improvements in cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and care for [every patient],” emphasized Ulrika Årehed Kågström, President of the UICC and Secretary General of the Swedish Cancer Society.
The UICC’s new World Cancer Day Campaign recognizes that every experience with cancer is unique, and every individual has unique needs, perspectives, and stories. The organization underscored that individuals affected by cancer are united in a shared ambition to see governments implement policies to improve cancer prevention and deliver health systems that treat patients with cancer effectively and successfully—resulting in greater survival rates and longer lives after cancer.
“By understanding and integrating the needs and preferences of individuals and communities into health-care delivery, health systems will provide more equitable access to care in low- as well as high-income settings. It is important that [patients] living with cancer feel seen, heard, and empowered,” concluded Cary Adams, BSc, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of the UICC.
To learn more about the United by Unique campaign, visit worldcancerday.org.
