Screening for breast cancer and colorectal cancer does not mobilize according to a report by Public Health France. These two diseases kill nearly 30,000 French people each year.
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They are among the cancers that kill the most. Breast cancer and colorectal cancer are the cause of nearly 30,000 deaths each year in France. However, if you detect them early, you increase your chances of recovery. However, according to two studies by Public Health France published on Tuesday, yet organized and generalized screenings for breast cancer and colorectal cancer are not successful.
>> Colorectal and breast cancers: the screening participation rate remains insufficient in France, according to two studies
The participation of all French people aged 50 to 74 invited to be screened every two years reaches 50% for breast and 33% for colorectal cancer. Only a third of French people aged 50 to 74 return their colorectal cancer screening kit every two years. “We know that a lesion detected early has a 9 out of 10 chance of healing”underlines Cécile Quintin of Public Health France.
“A drop in medical supply”
To improve participation in screening, since last year, the kits are now available from pharmacists in addition to doctors, and can be ordered on the internet. Participation is also barely satisfactory for women and breast cancer screening. Only half of 50 to 74 year olds respond to the invitation.
“There is a drop in medical supply”, deplores Agnès Rogel of Public Health France. “A lot of radiologists are retiring and are not being replaced. We are reacting to longer appointment times due to this drop. We also suspect a controversy in recent years that there has had on the effectiveness of breast cancer screening that may have kept women away from screening.”
There has also been a drop in mammograms during the Covid crisis. Public Health France fears in the coming months and years the late discovery of many breast cancers.