Colorectal cancer, everyone concerned
Each year, the month of March turns blue on the occasion of the colorectal cancer screening awareness campaign.
Blue Mars is an opportunity to do prevention around colon cancer and reach as many people as possible. It is the second deadliest cancer in France among men and the third deadliest cancer in France among women.
Colorectal cancer affects 43,000 new cases per year. However, fewer and fewer people are screening for colorectal cancer. Less than 30% of the population over 50 and under 74 take a screening test.
Colorectal cancer screening
Colorectal cancer is cured in 9 out of 10 cases when treated at an early stage. This means that the earlier it is diagnosed, the better it will be cured. Hence the need to perform colorectal cancer screening on a regular basis.
The national screening campaign
From the age of 50, everyone can receive their screening kit issued by theHealth Insurance. Just follow the procedure and perform the sample collection at home. These are then sent by post to a laboratory. The results are communicated by mail a few days later.
Colorectal cancer screening self-test in pharmacies
There is also a complementary solution to prevent the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
The colorectal self-test is a very specific rapid immunological test that detects the presence of blood in the stool. Unlike the national program screening kit, the colorectal self-test can be found in pharmacies. Above all, it takes only 10 minutes to complete, from collecting the sample to interpreting the results. Indeed, instead of sending your sample by post, all you have to do is perform the analysis using a test cassette. The result is obtained after 5 minutes.
The pharmacist who delivers the self-test then has an advisory role. It can thus do prevention around colorectal cancer screening, on the occasion of Mars Bleu but also throughout the year.
As the number of screenings is falling (a trend that the health crisis has accentuated), it is necessary to continue raising awareness. Colorectal cancer can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle and can be cured easily with early detection.
So in March (and all year), let's talk colon
To learn more about the colorectal self-test.
Sources: Public Health France: https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/maladies-et-traumatismes/cancers/cancer-du-colon-rectum/donnees/#tabs
