The League Against Cancer, Oncorun and the Regional Cancer Screening Coordination Center met with the public in front of the forecourt of the Bellepierre University Hospital this Tuesday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
More than twenty actions were carried out this month in hospitals, supermarkets, neighborhood associations in Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul and Saint-Denis,… with prevention partners in order to raise awareness Reunionese population on the importance of preventive actions once morest colorectal cancer.
If caught early, colorectal cancer is curable in 9 out of 10 cases
3 out of 10 Reunionese are invited to undergo colorectal cancer screening, which consists of a simple test to be done at home. 240,000 Reunionese are concerned.
Colorectal cancer, or cancer of the colon-rectum, affects more than 300 people in Reunion each year (including regarding 163 men and 136 women). It is responsible for approximately 100 deaths per year. However, if detected early, colorectal cancer is cured in 9 cases out of 10. Detecting this cancer is easy thanks to the immunological test. It is aimed at women and men, aged 50 to 74, invited by letter from the Regional Center for the Coordination of Cancer Screening.
A screening participation rate below that of mainland France
The figures published by Santé Publique France for the 2020/2021* campaign in Reunion announce a participation rate in organized screening for colorectal cancer of 28.8%, while the French average is 34%. On this same wave, 61,000 people among the 235,000 invited took the test. About 2,100 tests have been reported positive. 74 colon cancers were screened in this way (partial results).
By comparing 2020 and 2021, health actors observe an improvement in participation rates. This can partly be explained by the Covid crisis. Indeed, the organized screening circuit was disrupted in 2020 due to issues related to the supply and dispatch of tests. The people of Reunion mobilized and carried out twice as many tests in 2021, i.e. around 40,000 tests carried out in 2021 compared to 20,000 in 2020.
