National Cancer Survivors Day

Sunday, June 1, 2008, was the 21st anniversary celebration of National Cancer Survivors Day.^®

National Cancer Survivors Day is an annual, worldwide Celebration of Life in more than 700 communities throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world. Other participating countries include American Samoa, Antigua, Australia, Cayman Islands, Guam, India, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Trinidad and Tobago. Participants unite in a symbolic event to show the world that a high-quality life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.

Who is a cancer survivor? The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation defines a survivor as anyone living with a history of cancer, from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life. An estimated 11.1 million Americans are living with a cancer diagnosis. National Cancer Survivors Day affords a community the opportunity to demonstrate that it has an active, productive cancer survivor population.

On National Cancer Survivors Day, communities honor cancer survivors for their strength and courage and recognize the contributions of families, friends, and healthcare providers. Community celebrations can include races, games, parades, dances, carnivals, art exhibits, ceremonies, picnics, and many more fun and creative events.

For more information, visit the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation.* To locate an event in your community, contact your local cancer treatment center or the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation at 615-794-3006 or e-mail info@ncsdf.org.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with national, state, and local partners to create and implement successful strategies to help the millions of people in the United States who are cancer survivors.

*Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.