The event may have been one day early, but in observation of World Cancer Day, today, a flag was raised at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Wednesday, in recognition of cancer which helps create an awareness of cancer in the community.

The flag was sent to West Tennessee Healthcare on behalf of the Alice and Carl Kirkland Cancer Center cancer services.

World Cancer Day is an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the largest and oldest international cancer organization dedicated to taking the lead in convening, capacity building and advocacy initiatives that unite the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda.

“Any day we can promote the awareness of cancer is important to us,” Gina Myracle said, “We want to be on the forefront of people’s health care, and with the onset of COVID in our country, and having to shut down some of our elective procedures … people having to put off screenings, we are very much fearful that in the days ahead that we are going to see the patients with higher staged cancers.”

Gina is the Executive Director of the Alice and Carl Kirkland Cancer Center, which is also a part of Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.

“Anytime (people) can think they are behind and they can do something that could detect cancer early that’s better for them – and it’s better for us,” Gina said, “It limits the treatment they have to have.”

Gina said World Cancer Day is an international event.

“It’s going on all over the world, But we wanted to raise it (Wednesday) so we could have it in place all day Thursday.”

(PHOTO: Gina Myracle, Executive Director of the Alice and Carl Kirkland Cancer Center)