World Cancer Day observed on February 4, across the world including Pakistan to raise awareness about cancer and how to prevent, detect or treat it.

People, businesses, governments and non-profit organizations work together on World Cancer Day to help the general public learn more about the different types of cancer, how to watch for it, treatments and preventative measures.

Various activities and events include, Television, radio, online and newspaper advertisements and articles that mainly focus on the fight against cancer.

Nationwide campaigns approach the parents to help them minimize the risk of cancer within their families.

Public information booths are installed featuring information kits, fact sheets, booklets, posters and other items that promote the cancer awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and treatment.

Some countries use World Cancer Day to promote campaigns on various cancer issues, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, and cancer in children. Much focus goes towards awareness and risk reduction.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which is the United Nations' (UN) directing and coordinating health authority, works with organizations such as the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) on this day to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer.

World Cancer Day 2012 has been themed 'Together it is possible' because it is only by every person, organisation, government individually doing their part that the world will be able to reduce premature deaths from cancer and other NCDs by 25% by 2025.

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world, according to WHO, which estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention.

Low-income and medium-income countries are harder hit by cancer than the high-resource countries. It is essential to address the world's growing cancer burden and to work on effective control measures.

World Cancer Day is part of the World Cancer Campaign, which responds to the Charter of Paris adopted at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium on February 4, 2000.

It called for a strong alliance between researchers, health-care professionals, patients, governments, industry partners and the media to fight cancer.

It receives support from various partners and organizations, including the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and other international bodies. UICC organized the first World Cancer Day in 2006.