Usually, in March, attention is drawn to the importance of screening for colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and rectum) knowing that it is the second leading cause of cancer death in Belgium… Indeed, no less than 4,000 deaths are recorded per year! This cancer, of which more than 9,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in our country, affects 1 in 20 people!
Also, in order to attract the attention of the general public, six hospitals in the province of Liège (CHU, Center Hospitalier du Bois de l’Abbaye, CHR Verviers, Hôpital de la Citadelle, CHR de Huy and Groupe santé CHC) have partners to organize, this Thursday, March 10, an awareness campaign for colorectal cancer screening. Flyers will be distributed to people targeted by this action who go to participating hospitals today. They will also be offered a free screening test.
Who is the target audience? People aged 50 to 74. Beyond the age of 74, it is recommended to undergo a colonoscopy (endoscopic examination of the colon) without carrying out screening beforehand.
“Colorectal cancer is usually preceded by the appearance of benign lesions, called polyps. Regular screening can either identify polyps or detect cancer at an early stage. The chances of cure vary greatly depending on the time of diagnosis: 50% on average, 90% for an early cancer (stage 1) and almost 100% at the in situ stage.“, we specify at the CHU of Liège, where we note that we “was able to observe a 25% reduction in colorectal cancer mortality among people screened“.
This screening is simple and easy to perform since it consists of detecting the presence of blood in the stool. All you have to do is take a stool sample using a stick and send it free of charge, in the envelope provided for this purpose, to the CCR (Community Reference Center for Cancer Screening) by post. The results will then be communicated to the general practitioner within fifteen days.
In the event of a positive result (which does not necessarily mean that there is cancer), the patient will be invited to undergo an endoscopic colonoscopy. This test is to be carried out every two years.
Note that it is also possible to request a screening test via the website www.depistagecancer.be/kit.