Saturday Feb. 4 marks World Cancer Day.
The theme of this year’s event is “We Can. I can.” 
Cancer affects people in different ways, but everybody – together and as individuals – can take action to reduce the global burden of cancer.
The ‘We can. I can.’ campaign reinforces positive and action-oriented messaging about cancer. It also encourages the engagement of organizations and individuals in raising awareness and taking action against the disease.
On World Cancer Day, The Eye Cancer Foundation will join with groups and individuals around the world committed to fighting the scourge of cancer.
World Cancer Day is an important event to spread the word and raise cancer awareness around the globe. But more importantly, it’s a springboard for action.
In the coming year, The ECF will continue pushing forward with important projects related to diagnosing, treating, and ultimately curing eye cancer.
Retinoblastoma is a life and vision-threatening eye cancer that afflicts 10,000 young children every year. Our 2020 Campaign has committed to strategically train and place eye cancer specialists in underserved regions around the world. Our immediate goal is to save 1,000 young lives by the year 2020, but with the help of our generous donors, the sky is the limit.
This year, The ECF will host the Second Working Day on the first day of the International Society of Ocular Oncology meeting March 24 in Sydney, Australia. The Working Day will bring together eye cancer specialists from around the world to continue work on multicenter, international collaboration in ocular oncology.
Another important ECF initiative is the Eye Cancer Bioinformatics Grid (BIG). The mission of the BIG is to provide an infrastructure for sharing eye cancer data, results, and research. It is the first multicenter, international cooperative program focused on improving eye cancer research, diagnosis and patient care. Bio-informatics offers the chance for eye cancer specialists to work together and pool resources. As Eye Cancer Foundation Chairman Dr. Paul Finger says, “There is power in numbers.”
At The ECF, we are proud to do our part in the broader battle against cancer, and to join together with others around the world to celebrate World Cancer Day. We can. I can make a difference in the fight against cancer.
