To close this month dedicated to the prevention and screening of colorectal cancer,
an awareness-raising action was organized yesterday at the CHU de Bellepierre with two specialist doctors.
Positioned on the forecourt of the hospital, the giant colon (12 meters long) had its effect. Yesterday, it was time for information and prevention at Bellepierre on a fairly sensitive subject for those over 50: colorectal cancer, which develops from the cells that line the inner wall of the colon or rectum. Most often, these malignant tumors arise from a benign tumor, called an adenomatous polyp, which grows slowly and eventually becomes cancerous.
« It is a public health problem. Colorectal cancer affects 300 people in Reunion each year. 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 Cancer Screening Coordination Center“, explain Radwan Kassir, head of the visceral and digestive surgery department, and Pierre-Philippe Garnier, head of the hepato-gastroenterology department, at the Reunion University Hospital.
Obesity, overweight, tobacco and alcohol are risk factors. It is advisable to avoid sausages, red meats in excessive quantity. To avoid unpleasant surprises, everyone is invited to use a screening kit. Since March 1, 2022, it is now possible for any eligible person invited to organized colorectal cancer screening to receive a free screening test at home.
Receive your free test at home
This stool-hidden blood test is quick and effective. The test is to be done at home, then sent free of charge to the laboratory for analysis.
Every 2 years, everyone is invited to talk regarding this possible disease to their doctor. The latter checks if his patient has no particular risk requiring appropriate follow-up, then gives him the screening test, which is in no way a diagnosis.
This test is free, recommended, painless, and 100% supported. If blood is found in the stool during the screening test, a colonoscopy is performed, at the CHU for example. It makes it possible to diagnose colorectal cancer at an early stage, or even to avoid cancer by highlighting polyps or adenomas, before they degenerate into cancerous lesions. They will be removed during the colonoscopy. This test can therefore save lives.
