A EUROPEAN DAY FOR CANCER LITERACY
Building a Permanent Movement for Equity in Access to Cancer Knowledge
14 October 2026 A European Day for Cancer Literacy. Cancer Literacy Day helps people ask better questions, recognise reliable information, and move from uncertainty to understanding.
new cancer cases
annually in Europe
EU projects united
under one movement
shared day to
improve cancer literacy
WHAT IS CANCER LITERACY?
Moving cancer knowledge from specialised spaces into everyday life.
Cancer literacy is a shared civic capacity: the ability to find, understand and use reliable information about cancer. It belongs to citizens, relatives, friends, colleagues and also to healthcare professionals, institutions and organisations.
≈ 1 in 2
people in Europe will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime — directly or through someone close.
~40%
of cancers are linked to risk factors that better understanding and prevention can help address.
WHY IT MATTERS
Cancer literacy is a matter of equity
Inequalities in cancer outcomes are not just about healthcare access. Understanding information leads to better health decisions. Cancer health literacy is a key factor in achieving good health outcomes and equity.
Better questions, earlier detection
Cancer literacy enables people to recognise symptoms sooner and seek help earlier, when treatment is often more effective.
Equity across every border
Fighting misinformation
In a world of health misinformation, cancer literacy equips citizens to find, evaluate, and trust reliable information.
Informed patients, better outcomes
When patients understand their diagnosis and rights, they participate more actively in decisions that shape their care.
Get involved
Be part of the movement
Cancer Literacy Day is an open, collaborative European initiative. There are many ways to get involved: whatever your role, your voice matters.
Organisations & projects
Partner with us, co-organise local events, or add your project to the coalition.
Healthcare professionals
Share reliable resources, host a talk, or run a patient literacy session in your community.
Policymakers & institutions
Support the call to integrate cancer literacy into national and European health agendas
START LEARNING
Read the facts, not the fear
Understanding cancer
What cancer is, how it develops, and the words you will hear — in plain language.
Spotting reliable information
How to tell trustworthy sources from myths, and what to ask before believing a claim.
Prevention & everyday choices
Practical, evidence-based steps around food, movement and screening that lower risk.
FROM A PROJECT TO A MOVEMENT
The question mark as a ribbon
Cancer Literacy Day grows out of the CURTAIN project and is built to outlast it. The question mark stands for curiosity and the right to ask; the ribbon for care and solidarity. Together they say: understanding cancer begins with asking better questions.
Start with a better question.
Explore plain-language facts, prevention guidance, reliable sources and bring cancer literacy into your community.