World Cancer Day 2026 is less than one month away

World Cancer Day 2026 is just around the corner! This is the second year of the new 'United by Unique' campaign, which focuses on a people-centred approach to cancer care. This approach aims to place individuals, families, and communities at the heart of health systems. It means not just treating the disease, but adopting the perspectives and experiences of individuals, carers, families and communities as participants in, and beneficiaries of, trusted health systems that respond to their needs and preferences in holistic ways.

After a first year focused on raising awareness of the importance of people-centred care, UICC is shifting the emphasis in 2026 toward real-world experiences. People affected by cancer – those who have had cancer themselves, their caregivers, health professionals – are ideally placed to help identify what is missing from care systems, and what actually works in practice, in different settings.

Last year, World Cancer Day saw over 900 activities and events in more than 107 countries, and more than 600 stories in text, video, and art form on the website. The hashtag #WorldCancerDay gathered more than 530,000 social media posts and the day featured in some 30,000 press mentions in 162 countries.

What to expect ahead of 4 February

UICC continues to collect stories from around the world, now with added questions that shed light on cultural and socioeconomic factors influencing care. These insights are being used to inform public discourse and help shape future efforts to improve health systems.

A new creative project, ‘12 people. 12 cameras. 12 months.’, supported by Fujifilm, documents the everyday realities of individuals affected by cancer, capturing emotional and social aspects of care too often overlooked.

Updated campaign materials are available to support local activities and media coverage, and the Upside Down Challenge inviting people to post upside-down photos or videos to reflect how cancer disrupts lives.

“Today on 4 February, we come together once again to mark World Cancer Day – a day of unity, action, and hope. The World Cancer Day theme 'United by Unique' places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the conversation. Every individual facing cancer has a unique story, a unique experience – and yet, we’re all united by our shared commitment to create a world where we look beyond the disease and see the person before the patient.”
– Cary Adams, CEO of UICC