World Cancer Day—“United by Unique”, 4 February 2026
World Cancer Day draws global attention to the ongoing fight against cancer—one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Observed annually on 4 February, World Cancer Day unites individuals, communities, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers in a shared commitment to reduce the global cancer burden and improve outcomes for patients everywhere.
Aligned with this year’s theme and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), the initiative calls for greater awareness, early detection, equitable access to care, and sustained investment in cancer research and innovation. From prevention and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship, addressing cancer requires coordinated, multidisciplinary efforts across healthcare systems and scientific communities worldwide.
In support of World Cancer Day, selected MDPI journals highlight cutting-edge research across the cancer continuum, including advances in oncology, diagnostics, therapeutics, public health, and patient-centred care. Through curated articles, Special Issues, and expert-led webinars, these journals aim to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration to accelerate progress toward a future where cancer prevention and treatment are accessible, effective, and equitable for all.
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In 2026, MDPI is honored to support World Cancer Day through a monthly awareness ries beginning in February. Each session will focus on a key cancer awareness theme, showcasing cutting-edge research and expert insights through specially curated landing pages and a dedicated webinar series. Through this special activity, we aim to sustain engagement and cross-disciplinary collaboration throughout the year. Below is the list of events. You may click on the respective links (updated throughout the year, closer to each event month) to access the individual event pages.
| Month | Relevant Cancer Awareness Month |
| January | Cervical Cancer Awareness Month |
| February | National Cancer Prevention Month |
| March | Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month |
| April | Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month |
| May | Bladder Cancer Awareness Month |
| June | Cancer Survivorship Awareness Month |
| July | Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month |
| August | Brain Cancer Awareness Month |
| September | Childhood Cancer Awareness Month |
| October | Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
| November | Lung Cancer Awareness Month |
| December | Skin Cancer Awareness Month |
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Dr. Xiang Xue, |
Dr. Federico Pio Fabrizio, |
Dr. Anis Ahmad, |
Dr. Hiroaki Kiyokawa, |
Register for this webinar for free here!
“Molecular Insight and Antioxidative Therapeutic Potentials of Plant-Derived Compounds in Breast Cancer Treatment”
by Sandhya Shukla, Arvind Kumar Shukla, Adarsha Mahendra Upadhyay, Navin Ray, Fowzul Islam Fahad, Arulkumar Nagappan, Sayan Deb Dutta and Raj Kumar Mongre
Onco 2025, 5(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/onco5020027
“Comprehensive Analysis of Advancement in Optical Biosensing Techniques for Early Detection of Cancerous Cells”
by Ayushman Ramola, Amit Kumar Shakya and Arik Bergman
Biosensors 2025, 15(5), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15050292
“Advancing Cancer Treatment: A Review of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Combination Strategies”
by Valencia Mc Neil and Seung Won Lee
Cancers 2025, 17(9), 1408; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17091408
“Prunin: An Emerging Anticancer Flavonoid”
by Juie Nahushkumar Rana and Sohail Mumtaz
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2678; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062678
“Advancing Cancer Therapy with Quantum Dots and Other Nanostructures: A Review of Drug Delivery Innovations, Applications, and Challenges”
by Ashutosh Pareek, Deepanjali Kumar, Aaushi Pareek and Madan Mohan Gupta
Cancers 2025, 17(5), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17050878
“From Bench to Bedside: Transforming Cancer Therapy with Protease Inhibitors”
by Alireza Shoari
Targets 2025, 3(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/targets3010008
“Breast Cancer and Tumor Microenvironment: The Crucial Role of Immune Cells”
by Tânia Moura, Paula Laranjeira, Olga Caramelo, Ana M. Gil and Artur Paiva
Curr. Oncol. 2025, 32(3), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32030143
“Mechanisms and Strategies to Overcome Drug Resistance in Colorectal Cancer”
by Jennifer Haynes and Prasath Manogaran
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(5), 1988; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26051988
“Polyphenol-Based Prevention and Treatment of Cancer Through Epigenetic and Combinatorial Mechanisms”
by Neha Singaravelan and Trygve O. Tollefsbol
Nutrients 2025, 17(4), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17040616
“Advances in Drug Targeting, Drug Delivery, and Nanotechnology Applications: Therapeutic Significance in Cancer Treatment”
by Fatih Ciftci, Ali Can Özarslan, İmran Cagri Kantarci, Aslihan Yelkenci, Ozlem Tavukcuoglu and Mansour Ghorbanpour
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(1), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17010121
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“Genetic and Epigenetic Analyses in Cancer” |
“Improving the Quality of Life in Patients with Gynecological Cancer” |
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“Antibody-Mediated Therapy and Other Emerging Therapies in Cancer Treatment” |
“Advances in Implementation Science and Knowledge Mobilization for Cancer Control” |
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