New Delhi: With the aim of creating awareness about the cancer of the lymphatic system and educating people about the functionality of lymphatic systems, World Lymphoma Awareness Day is observed on September 15 every year. The lymphatic system includes lymph nodes, spleen, thymus gland and bone marrow.
History & Significance
This year will be the 20th anniversary of World Lymphoma Awareness Day. The World Lymphoma Awareness Day initiative was first adopted by Lymphoma Coalition, a non-profit organisation, in 2004, and later gained immense popularity throughout the globe.
The World Lymphoma Awareness Day emphasises in promoting early diagnosis and treatment. Early detection of lymphoma can significantly improve the chances of successful treatment and survival.
Lymphoma Coalition
Lymphoma Coalition, a worldwide network of patient groups with a full or partial focus on providing support to patients with lymphoma, was formed in 2002 and incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation in 2010.
The need for a central hub of consistent as well as reliable current information was recognised as well as the need for lymphoma patient organisations to share resources, best practices, and policies and procedures. Presently, there are over 80 member organisations from over 50 countries. It focuses on ensuring impact within two pillars: information and advocacy.
Theme For World Lymphoma Awareness Day 2024
The theme of World Lymphoma Awareness Day 2024 is 'It’s time for some Honest Talk about how we’re feeling'. The theme focuses on the emotional effects of living with lymphoma. Honest conversations between people with lymphoma and the healthcare team can help address emotional concerns and connect patients to specialists and resources.
What is Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a severe blood cancer with an increasing incidence due to the lack of awareness about the lymphoma system, and limited research data. Lymphoma happens due to the malfunctioning (genetic mutation) of white blood cells called lymphocytes, causing rapid and uncontrolled growth of cells in the lymphatic system.
Lymphoma Coalition’s Report Card
Lymphomas encompass a wide variety of distinct disease entities. There are more than 80 different subtypes of lymphomas and depending on the subtype, the disease can be aggressive, progress rapidly, and be considered curable in certain instances, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Others are indolent, generally advance more slowly, and are currently considered incurable for most patients, including follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).
As per the Globocan 2022 report, more than 70,000 people lost their lives due to blood cancer in India. It further said that India is currently witnessing a surge in the number of blood cancer cases getting diagnosed which tolls at a whopping 1,20,000 in comparison to the previous report with an incidence rate of 1,00,000. Of the total cases 30,000 those are seen in children.
