Communities around the world observed World Cancer Day on Feb. 4, a day supporting the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer worldwide.

World Cancer Day was established on the same day in 2000 by the Charter of Paris against cancer in Paris and signed by then-French President Jacques Chirac and the then-UNESCO Director Koichiro Matsuura.

On World Cancer Day, loved ones lost to cancer are remembered as the disease continues to affect thousands across the United States. From a poll held on the Three Penny Press Instagram, 81% of students and teachers have had a family member or close friend pass away from cancer. Cancer has affected the following three members of the school community.

Jasmine Thomas

College Coordinator Jasmine Thomas’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was in the third grade. Her 17-year-old sister graduated high school early to help care for their mother, she and Ms. Thomas often spent much of their time caregiving.

“I thought she was going to die,” Ms. Thomas said. “The day they diagnosed her with it, I remember my grandma picked me up from school. I remember coming home and seeing my grandma fall to her knees on the floor, and it was also the first time I saw my grandfather cry.”

Thomas’s mother survived her cancer, but the process taught Thomas to be stronger when her “world was ending.”

“It definitely changes your outlook,” Thomas said. “It teaches you to have understanding for people and what they’re going through.”

Thomas learned about World Cancer Day this year and feels that its celebration is “extremely” important.

“It’s important to celebrate the survivors and those that have passed, to celebrate the research, to celebrate all the jobs that push forward for a cure for cancer,” Thomas said. “Everyone has been affected. I don’t know one person on this planet who doesn’t know someone that died of cancer.”

Ziah Newton

Junior Ziah Newton’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in January of 2024. Receiving the news when she came home from school, Newton remembered it as “surprising” and “emotional.”

“Just hearing that she had to go through cancer was very heartbreaking,” Newton said. “I locked my emotions up and put on a facade — I also became very depressed. Hearing that my mom had to go through treatment was devastating.”

Now, Newton’s mother is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. After her mother’s surgery in October, Newton took up more responsibilities by driving her mother to appointments. Newton said World Cancer Day was “inspiring” because it honored her mother and others affected by cancer.

“Especially since there are so many different kinds and stages of cancer, I feel like World Cancer Day should be a more discussed and recognized topic,” Newton said. “It needs to be pushed out more because cancer is such a sad, messed up thing that happens.”

Seetha Venkatachalam

Sophomore Seetha Venkatachalam also struggled with her grandmother having cancer. Her grandmother was diagnosed with lymphoma and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) — once in 2016 and again in early 2025. MDS hinders the creation of blood cells, such as platelets in her grandmother’s case. A lack of platelets means the body cannot stop excessive bleeding.

“When I was younger, my parents left me in the dark a lot about my grandmother’s cancer because it was too complex,” Venkatachalam said. “But now, because they can tell me about it, it’s honestly really heartbreaking.”

Her grandmother has been experiencing chemotherapy and blood transfusions. This often leads to loss of motor skills, requiring physical therapy.

“Sometimes, there’s not really much you can do to prevent cancer,” Venkatachalam said. “It just happens. It’s just important that you catch it before it goes too far and go to every medical check up.”

To find out how you can support the campaign against cancer after World Cancer Day, visit worldcancerday.org.

“It’s really important to celebrate World Cancer Day as a lot of people suffer because of this — they literally have a whole cancer hospital dedicated to it,” Seetha said, “People should be educated on what the different types of cancer are and know there is not just one single type of cancer.”