Buildings bathed in purple floodlights to highlight cancer

Ekebergrestauranten in Oslo.Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix

Many residents in the capital said on Thursday that two of the city’s landmarks were illuminated in purple. The reason was to spotlight pancreatic cancer.

 

Pancreatic cancer is often referred to as the ‘forgotten’ form. It affects approximately 800 Norwegians each year, reported Aftenposten newspaper.

Earlier floodlight campaigns included breast cancer, which was marked with pink, and prostate cancer, with light blue. On Thursday, a third cancer was highlighted at the Ekeberg restaurant, and the 90 meter high lookout tower at Tjuvholmen, that were lit up in this purple.

It is the first time that the international pancreatic cancer day has been marked in Norway. The cancer form actually takes more lives than breast cancer, and only 6% of those who are diagnosed live longer than five years after the cancer has been detected.

Buildings in several places around the country will also be lit in purple on Friday, but then it will be to highlight premature births, marked for the seventh consecutive year. In Norway,approximately 5,000 children are born prematurely each year.

Among the buildings and landmarks that will be lit in purple on Friday will be Keplerstjernen at Gardermoen, Bybrua in Stavanger, Telenor Arena in Bærum, Rockheim in Trondheim, and Ulriken in Bergen.

 

©  NTB Scanpix / Norway Today