We are in the middle of “Blue March”, a month annually dedicated to colorectal cancer screening. This is an important time to raise awareness, for Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin and Saint Barthélémy, where the participation rate in organized screening remains very low, although it can be life-saving.
The sooner you get cancer, the sooner you can stop it.
Cancer, the earlier it is treated, the better the chances of recovery.
The message of the communication campaign, which will be rolled out on radio, TV and in bus shelters over the next two weeks, has the merit of being clear!
He pleads for the use of screening, at regular intervals, in order to inquire about his state of health.
And, therefore, if it turns out that a cancer is detected, it will be treated immediately, which will considerably increase the patient’s chances of survival.
This message will be hammered home throughout this “Blue March”, a month that the Regional Cancer Screening Coordination Center (CRCDC-971) devotes to promoting organized screening for colorectal cancer (CCR).
Too few screening candidates
Colorectal cancer generally affects people over 50; both men and women.
It is also called bowel cancer, one of the most common cancers in France. It affects more than 43,000 people each year.
In Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, more than 200 new cases are recorded each year.
This cancer grows slowly inside the colon or rectum, most often from small lesions called polyps.
Screening makes it possible to identify a polyp, before it develops into cancer, or to detect cancer at a very early stage; which increases the chances of recovery.
Indeed, detected early, colorectal cancer can be cured in 9 out of 10 cases.
Unfortunately, the participation rate in organized screening remains very low: approximately 17%, or 11,364 participants out of the 69,800 people concerned, according to the census of the General Social Security Fund (CGSS).
However, everything is planned. And this process is free.
CRC screening: instructions for use
The screening test is offered to people aged 50 to 74, with no symptoms or history.
From the age of 50, therefore, women and men receive, every 2 years, a letter from their Cancer Screening Coordination Center (CRCDC) inviting them to contact their doctor to obtain a free screening kit. . With the invitation received, it is also possible, since March 1, to identify yourself online, on the Health Insurance website (monkit.depistage-colorectal.fr), to answer a few questions and, in the absence of any particular risk, to
order the test to receive it at home.
Reliable, simple and fast: the CRC screening test is to be done at home. The kit comes with an instruction manual. Once the test is done, just mail it in and wait for the results.
There is also a tutorial, which really de-dramatizes the procedure. Take a look instead!
The insured persons who have not received their letter can approach the CRCDC-971, by calling 0590.38.15.03.