Cancer Prevention Month: Because Awareness Without Action Is Just a Conversation

A note from the founder of the World Change Coalition

A quick word about why we write these blogs.

If you've spent any time on our site, you've probably noticed we publish a lot.  I get it, another blog from another organization. But here's the thing. These posts aren't marketing. They're not SEO plays or content calendars cooked up by some agency. They're me, sitting down and trying to say something that matters about a cause I believe in.

When I started the World Change Coalition, the whole point was to honor my mom. Her name was Catherine. She fought breast cancer for twenty-three years.  One of the things I promised her, that I promised myself, was that I'd find a way to change the world for her. That sounds daunting.  Most days it feels small. But writing these blogs is one of the ways I try to keep that promise alive. Every post is a chance to share something real, a story, a lesson, a reminder that none of us are doing this alone. Whether we're writing about World Cancer Day, the practical side of treatment nobody talks about, or what it really looks like to show up as a cheerleader for someone going through cancer, every single one comes back to the same thing: people matter more than statistics.

So that's why we write. Now, let's talk about February.

February Is National Cancer Prevention Month

February gets a lot of attention for other things. Valentine's Day. The Super Bowl. Groundhog Day, if you're into that. But for those of us who've watched cancer reshape a family, February carries a different weight. It's National Cancer Prevention Month. Honestly, it might be one of the most important awareness campaigns that barely gets talked about.

Here's a number that stopped me the first time I read it: roughly 40% of cancer cases in the United States are connected to preventable causes. Forty percent. That means nearly half of all diagnoses are tied to things like tobacco use, diet, physical inactivity, and alcohol. I'm not saying that to guilt anyone. Life is complicated and none of us are perfect. But that number tells me something powerful, we're not helpless here. We actually have more control than most people realize.

My mom didn't get to choose her diagnosis, it was predetermined by her genetics. Breast cancer showed up uninvited and stayed for over two decades.  I watched her make choices every single day about how she was going to face it. She chose to keep fighting. She chose to laugh when the chemo made her sick. She chose to show up for us even when showing up cost her everything she had.

She taught me that you can't always control what happens to you, but you can control what you do next. That's really what Cancer Prevention Month is about. Doing what you can with what you've got.

What Prevention Actually Looks Like

Prevention doesn't have to be dramatic. It's not about overhauling your entire life overnight. It's about the quiet, ordinary decisions that add up over time.

It's getting that screening you've been putting off. It's having that conversation with your doctor about family history. It's eating one more vegetable and taking one more walk and wearing sunscreen even in February. It's asking your kids about the HPV vaccine. It's quitting the thing you know you should quit, even if you've tried before and it didn't stick. Try again. That's not failure. That's persistence. Mom would've called it stubbornness, and she would've meant it as a compliment.

Earlier this month we wrote about World Cancer Day and the "United by Unique" theme that runs through 2027. I love that theme because it captures something true, every cancer journey is different, which means every prevention story is different too. Your risks aren't the same as your neighbor's. Your family history isn't the same as your best friend's. The choices that matter most for you might be completely different from the ones that matter most for someone else.

That's not a reason to do nothing. That's a reason to pay attention to your story.

Why I Take This Personally

I've been open about this.  Everything we do at the World Change Coalition started because I watched my mom go through something no one should have to go through alone. I've written about the stories that remind us we're not alone, about finding gratitude and purpose in every step, about what it means to remember the person behind the diagnosis. All of those threads connect here.

Prevention is how we honor the people we've lost. Not just by remembering them, but by doing something with what they taught us. My mom taught me three things that I come back to constantly: life is temporary, empathy changes everything, and perseverance is non-negotiable. Cancer Prevention Month is where all three of those lessons meet.

Life is temporary, so take care of the body you've got. Empathy changes everything, so encourage the people around you to get screened, to pay attention, to take their health seriously. Perseverance is non-negotiable, so don't give up on yourself even when healthy choices feel inconvenient or overwhelming.

What You Can Do Right Now

I'm not going to hand you a list of ten things to change about your life. You already know most of them. What I will say is this: pick one. Pick just one thing. Schedule that appointment. Go for that walk. Have that conversation. Share this post with someone who needs a nudge. Do it today, not next week.

If you're someone who's already fighting, if you're in treatment, if you're a caregiver, if you're sitting in a waiting room right now reading this on your phone, I see you. We see you. That's what Cathy's Jeans and this entire organization exist for. To remind you that you are not alone in this. Not today. Not ever.

Sic parvis magna. Great things from small beginnings. That's been our motto from day one. And prevention? Prevention is one of the smallest, greatest things any of us can do.

Mom, still keeping that promise. Still trying to change the world for you.

Love, Richie

For more from the World Change Coalition, visit www.worldchangecoalition.net and follow us on social media. If this post meant something to you, share it. That's how awareness becomes action.