The first World Gynecologic Oncology (GO) Day was launched on September 20th, 2019 by the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) and the European Network of Gynaecological Cancer Advocacy Groups (ENGAGe). Their mission is to raise awareness of ovarian, uterine, cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. The collective term for these five types of cancer is gynaecological cancer.

With over 1.3 million women worldwide diagnosed with gynaecological cancers in 2020, it’s more important now than ever to equip them with tools and resources to promote prevention and early detection of potential cancers. Increased public awareness of gynaecological cancer prevention can ultimately lead to improved quality of life and increased survival rate of affected women. Although there are warning signs, women can learn ways to reduce their risks in ways that make sense for their personal health, as signs and symptoms are not the same for everyone. It’s important to consult your doctor to discuss your unique situation and to schedule preventative screenings.

Over the years, World GO Day has been a joint effort by various advocacy groups around the world with both in-person and virtual events including interactive activities on the World GO Day website, scientific workshops, information sessions, and sporting events involving healthcare providers, cancer survivors, and supporters.

On September 20th you may see people wearing purple ribbons or clothing to show their support. It’s the color meant to combine awareness for all gynaecological cancers in one. In the first year of the awareness day, 33 patient advocacy groups from 22 countries in Europe and Asia joined to raise awareness with sporting events and games. This also helped to create a stronger network of people and organizations who still work together year after year to provide resources to the community.

ENGAGe says their priorities and objectives are to:

• Facilitate the development of national gynaecological cancer patient groups in Europe and to facilitate networking and collaboration between them.
• Disseminate information and share best practices to empower patient groups and improve the quality of care across Europe.
• Increase patient representation in ESGO activities through education on current research and health policy.
• Advocate patient care policies practices and access to appropriate care at both national and international levels.
• Educate patient groups, health professionals, the general public, and health decision makers.

SOPHiA GENETICS is proud to support the efforts of World Go Day. You can choose to join this movement by educating yourself, sharing information with others, and showing your support. For the latest World Go Day updates, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.