Laure Foessel, a radiologist in Bas-Rhin, herself affected by the disease, encourages women to be screened for breast cancer, even if they do not have symptoms. She also regrets the medical deserts that remain.
“Most of the time it goes very, very well”, reassured this Tuesday on franceinfo, Laure Foessel, radiologist in Bas-Rhin and godmother of the Haguenauvienne, a solidarity race to fight against breast cancer in Haguenau. Having been affected by the disease herself, she invites women to be screened for cancer even if they have no symptoms. “can be taken care of in time and be cured”.
>> Breast cancer: less than one in two women aged 50 to 74 have had their mammogram in 2022, according to a study by the League Against Cancer
Doctor Laure Foessel wants to reassure women who fear the pain of the exam: “I find it very tolerable. You don’t have to be afraid,” she testifies. She admits that medical deserts remain an obstacle to quality screening in France. Young radiologists preferably settle in cities far from the countryside. “Patients don’t want to travel”she regrets.
franceinfo: More than a third of women questioned by the League Against Cancer put forward the absence of symptoms as the reason for not being screened. But should it be done, even in the absence of symptoms?
Laure Foessel: Yes, that’s really the principle. That is to say that screening mammography is there to find something still quite early, still quite small, which sometimes cannot be palpated, cannot be seen at skin level so that it can be taken care of. in time, to be cured and to have the least aggressive therapeutic care.
At what age can you have your first mammogram?
Generally, screening begins at age 50. Afterwards, depending on the family risk factors that you present, the gynecologist or the attending physician will be able to request mammograms from the age of 40. Before the age of 40, it is really in the event of a manifestation or really in the event of a genetic risk. Before the age of 40, most of the time it will only be ultrasounds. Mammography really starts at age 40.
Some women fear pain during the exam. Can you reassure them?
There is fear of the gesture and of pain. I must say that it is really individual. I made one. I find it very tolerable and overall, most of the time, it goes very, very well. There are some women who have very sensitive breasts. We feel that it is painful. But the radio technician who gives them the mammogram is there. He accompanies them. If it doesn’t go well, he stops in time. You shouldn’t be afraid of pain. Then there is the fear of rays. There are women who are afraid of sending rays to their chest. We need to reassure them. These are really minimal doses which do not pose any risk to the chest. And then, above all, there is the fear of the result. Indeed, there is a bit of the ostrich technique saying, “if I don’t look, I won’t find anything”. It is a problem.
Are there enough screening centers and radiologists?
There really are medical deserts. Myself, at 40 years old, I am still part of the age group where there has not been this increase in the numerus clausus. There is still a shortage of radiologists. We, for example, are currently three months away from meeting deadlines. Of course, when women call to make an appointment, either it is a routine appointment, so we can wait three months, but if the patient has noticed something, she absolutely must specify it to the secretary because there are emergency appointments. But it’s true, there are radiologists in small practices who are going to retire and who are not going to be replaced. Young radiologists now do not set up on their own in small outlying radiology practices. They will tend to join large groups. It’s true that there is a kilometer distance and patients do not want to travel.