Brazil runs July and August cancer awareness drives highlighting early detection and smoking risks

In July, Brazil’s "Julho Verde" campaign warns of head and neck cancer, urging people to watch for non‑healing mouth sores, persistent hoarseness, neck lumps and other symptoms. The campaign stresses that early diagnosis improves cure rates; worldwide about 900,000 new cases and 400,000 deaths occur each year, with tobacco, alcohol and HPV as major risk factors.

In August, the "Agosto Branco" initiative focuses on lung cancer, the world’s deadliest tumor. It highlights smoking, e‑cigarette use, occupational chemicals and pollution as key hazards and lists warning signs such as chronic cough, breathlessness, chest pain and unexplained weight loss. Local groups such as Alara – Laço Rosa in Araras, São Paulo, provide counseling and information.

Additional reports link tobacco use to intestinal health, noting nicotine’s impact on gut nerves, immunity and microbiota balance. Health professionals advise quitting smoking through professional support, nicotine‑replacement therapy and behavioral counseling, while warning that e‑cigarettes are not a safe cessation method.