World Cancer Day 2026: How physicians can help patients through a cancer diagnosis

Today, February 4, is World Cancer Day.

While primary care physicians don’t treat cancer, they do treat patients. And guiding patients through a cancer diagnosis is a crucial role for primary care.

For starters, primary care can be the front line when it comes to recommending cancer screenings. As AMA President Bobby Makkamula, M.D., a cancer survivor himself, said: “World Cancer Day is a reminder that while cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., we have powerful tools to detect and treat it early to help save lives. As a physician and cancer survivor, I’ve seen firsthand how important early detection and timely care are.”

Medical Economics is re-upping this 2025 slideshow by Joelle Kaufman with helpful advice for physicians on what they can do to help patients work through way from diagnose into treatment and recovery and, ultimately, survivorship.

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As a primary care physician, your guidance at the start of a patient's cancer journey can provide the confidence, hope, and resilience they need to navigate this difficult chapter in their life. By offering thoughtful support and connecting them with the right resources, you make a lasting impact on their journey to recovery.

In the slides above, consider these 14 recommendations for how primary care doctors can best support the newly diagnosed.

Joelle Kaufman is the author of “Crushing the Cancer Curveball: A Playbook for the Newly Diagnosed, Their Family And Friends.” Her life has been shaped by breast cancer since age 13, culminating in her own 2023 diagnosis — the fourth in her immediate family. As CEO and Founder of GTM Flow, she combines cancer-forged resilience with cutting-edge go-to-market leadership strategies.