Verified on 03/10/2022 by Florine Dergelet, Editor
As every year for 15 years, the month of March is devoted to raising awareness of colorectal cancer screening. Called “Blue March”, this awareness campaign is an opportunity to remember that screening for this cancer can save lives! And for good reason, if detected in time, colorectal cancer screening allows 9 out of 10 cures!
90% of colorectal cancers can be prevented if caught early
In France, colorectal cancer affects 43,000 people each year. It is the 3rd most common type of cancer and the 2nd deadliest (nearly 18,000 people die of colon cancer in France every year). And like many pathologies, the earlier it is detected, the less invasive the treatments will be and the more patients are likely to be cured. According to the Cancer League: Colon cancer is curable in more than 90% of cases when diagnosed early ».
If Mars Bleu aims to raise awareness of the importance of being screened from the age of 50, participation in screening remains insufficient. According to Daniel Nizri, volunteer President of the League Against Cancer, “cThis can be explained by the many taboos that persist around these cancers, the lack of information and support… To these factors, around which we have been working tirelessly for years, is added the Covid-19 pandemic. 19 which led to a drop in participation in all screenings “. However, the test is simple, free and can be done at home.
How to get screened for colorectal cancer?
All men and women between the ages of 50 and 74 are encouraged to perform a home immunological self-test every two years. Simple to perform, painless and 100% covered by Health Insurance, the test is a stool sample which will then be analyzed to observe the presence of blood or not. If the test is positive, the patient will have to undergo a colonoscopy.
As La Ligue contre le cancer explains, the benefit of the test is twofold: “ by detecting early enough the presence of blood in the stool that may indicate lesions (polyps) that risk becoming cancerous, it allows them to be treated before they develop into cancer ».
And to simplify the process, eligible people can, since March 1, order the test without having to consult a doctor. To do this, simply go to the website www.monkit.depistage-colorectal.fr with the number on the screening invitation letter. In addition, the test results can also be viewed online via the website www.resultat-depistage.fr.