Only a third of French people aged 50 to 74 undergo a colorectal cancer screening test every two years. Yet free and easy to perform, it allows early detection of lesions and cure in 90% of cases.
This month of March is that of the national mobilization against colorectal cancer, baptized Blue March. Colorectal cancer affects 43,000 new people every year in France and causes 17,000 deaths. It is the 3rd most common cancer in men (after that of the prostate and the lung) and the 2nd in women (after that of the breast). There is a screening self-test but only 33.5% of the target population use it. So to encourage as many people as possible to carry out this test, La Ligue contre le cancer reminds us that screening makes it possible to detect colorectal cancer early and to obtain a cure in 9 out of 10 cases.
????[#MarsBleu] Colorectal cancer should not be a taboo!
In France, each year, 4️⃣3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ people are affected and 1️⃣7️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ die.
????️ Daring to talk about it can save lives!
More information ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/RbmAoNNyT4
— the League against Cancer (@laliguecancer) March 1, 2022
A test to do at home
Every two years, women and men aged 50 to 74 receive an invitation from Health Insurance to take part in organized screening free of charge. Until now, you had to go to your doctor (general practitioner, gynecologist, hepato-gastroenterologist) to get the test but, since March 1, it is also possible to order it online. Just log in to the site Monkit.depistage-colorectal.fr and enter the number on his invitation to receive it directly at home. Then, it is a matter of taking a quick and painless sample from the stool and then sending the sample by post to the analysis laboratory which will check the absence or presence of traces of blood. If the test is negative, go back in two years for a recheck. If, on the other hand, it turns out to be positive (about 4% of cases), the doctor refers to a gastroenterologist to perform a colonoscopy and find the origin of the bleeding in order to offer appropriate care.
Age: the first risk factor
Screening targets 50-74 year olds, as age is the first risk factor for developing colorectal cancer. Before the age of 50, its occurrence remains very rare in people without specific risk factors and after the age of 74, it is simply recommended to consult your doctor in case of particular concerns. Regardless of age, health authorities recommend consulting quickly in the event of visible blood in the stool, abdominal pain, unusual and persistent digestive disorders (diarrhea or constipation), unexplained weight loss or anemia. Personal or family history must also lead to specific follow-up. “The risk is multiplied by three if the person has a first-degree family history (father, mother, brother, sister)”, explains The League. Hereditary cancers, which generally occur before the age of 40, however, represent less than 5% of all colorectal cancers. Finally, as with many pathologies, lifestyle habits have a significant effect: being overweight, a diet rich in animal fats or red meat, the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and physical inactivity are risk factors. “Type 2 diabetes and lack of sun exposure could also have an impact,” adds The League Against Cancer.