Saturday (February 4) is being observed as World Cancer Day, a movement that reimagines a world where millions of preventable cancer deaths are saved and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care is equitable for all.

Created since its genesis in 2000, World Cancer Day has grown into a powerful initiative that seeks to raise worldwide awareness, improve education and catalyse personal, collective and government action.

For the second-straight year, World Cancer Day is themed ‘Close the care gap’.

Our Today presents five lesser-known facts about cancer:

1. Cancer can spread through the bloodstream to distant parts of the body, a process known as metastasis.

2. There are over 100 different types of cancer, each with unique causes, symptoms, and treatments.

3. Some cancers, like breast cancer, can run in families due to the presence of inherited genetic mutations.

4. The immune system can play a role in both the development and treatment of cancer, and immunotherapy is a growing field of cancer treatment.

5. There is evidence that stress can affect the development and progression of cancer, though the exact mechanisms are not well understood.