World Cancer Day is being recognised in the island this Thursday (February 4).

Founded in 2000 by the Union for International Cancer Control, it’s held every February to raise awareness about cancer.

Each year, hundreds of activities and events take place around the world, gathering communities, organisations and individuals in schools, businesses, hospitals, marketplaces, parks, community halls, places of worship, in the streets and online to raise awareness and inspire action.

The Isle of Man Anti-Cancer Association is asking residents to be cancer-aware amid the global pandemic.

This year’s theme is ’I Am and I Will’, which focuses on each person and their personal commitment to reduce the impact of cancer, the second-leading cause of death worldwide.

IoMACA’s Sandy Denning said: ’We are so grateful for our health care professionals who continue to go above and beyond to care for patients in the midst of great fear and uncertainty. Sadly, despite these best efforts, the impact of Covid-19 on people’s cancer outcomes and experience of care has been and will continue to be profound. For some, devastatingly, it will be catastrophic and life limiting.

’Rightly so, the NHS pulled out all the stops to care for people with Covid-19. However, Macmillan estimates that there are currently 42,000 people now missing a cancer diagnosis who are at risk of becoming the forgotten ’C’ of the coronavirus crisis.’

The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that one in five men and one in six women worldwide will develop cancer over the course of their lifetime, and that one-in-eight men and one-in-11 women will die from their disease.

IoMACA said anyone with concerns about signs should contact their GP and keep up with screening when called.