The Cancer Patients, Volunteers, Friends and Doctors Association "K.E.F.I." of Athens is holding two open events in the Laconia region of Greece this month as part of its awareness campaign "With Early Diagnosis, YES, You Have Time." The events take place in Monemvasia on Saturday, September 19, 2026, and in Geraki on Sunday, September 20, 2026, both starting at 19:00.
The association says the campaign is built around a simple message: early diagnosis can decisively change the course a cancer patient's treatment takes. It argues that prevention depends not only on medical advice but on people actually knowing when and why they need to get checked, and on having access to that information in the first place.
Monemvasia hosts the first event
The first event will be held at the Tourist Pavilion of Monemvasia, organized by K.E.F.I. Athens together with the Cancer Patients and Friends Association of Monemvasia and neighboring areas, known as CanShare. It is described as an open conference on cancer prevention, early diagnosis and modern treatment.
Doctors and health professionals are due to address nearly the entire journey a person faces after a cancer diagnosis, covering lymphedema, nutrition and mental health, as well as the social rights and benefits patients are entitled to. Patients themselves will also have a prominent place at the event, sharing their personal experiences and their own path through the disease. The organizers say the aim is not only to strengthen prevention but also to confront the fear and stigma that still surround the illness.
Awareness moves to Geraki
The following day, the campaign moves to Gerakiou Square, in a joint event with the Women's Association of Geraki. Specialist doctors and scientists will cover similar ground, including early diagnosis, lymphedema, nutrition, mental health and the social rights and benefits available to oncology patients.
The Geraki event will open with a patients' panel, giving the first word to people who have experienced cancer and have chosen to share their stories publicly.
'Time has enormous value'
Mairi Chinari, President of K.E.F.I. Athens, said time carries enormous weight when it comes to cancer, and that prevention and early diagnosis can change the course of the disease. She said the association wants accurate information to reach every person, wherever they live, and wants to speak openly about cancer to break down the fear and stigma attached to it.
Chinari added that the association wants to remind patients and their families that they are not alone, and said knowledge gives people strength and often pushes them to take, in time, the step that can prove decisive.
Plans to reach the Aegean islands
Stavros Christakos, General Secretary of K.E.F.I. Athens, said the events in Monemvasia and Geraki continue a pilot programme the association has been running in the regions, and are part of a wider plan to carry accurate information on prevention, early diagnosis and the oncology patient's journey beyond Greece's major cities.
Christakos said the association would place particular emphasis in the coming period on the Aegean islands, where geographic distance makes access to information and support even more important. He said the goal was to build lasting bridges between patients, local communities and the scientific community.
Breaking the fear around cancer
Behind both events lies the idea that knowledge about cancer should not be a privilege reserved for people who live near major hospitals and city centres. Information about prevention and early diagnosis, understanding of modern treatment options, and awareness of patients' rights are all presented by the association as part of tackling the disease as a whole.
Entry to both the Monemvasia and Geraki events is free. K.E.F.I. Athens can be reached at 19 Volanaki Street in Athens, by phone on 210 6468222, by email, or through its website and its Facebook and Instagram pages.
