The National Cancer Institute and Public Health France have just published their 4th Cancer Barometer, and alert on the risks related to our behaviors, which we too often minimize.
Sept out of ten French people consider themselves well informed today regarding the different types of cancer and the behaviors to adopt to prevent it. But the more the questions are precise on these said behaviors, the more it is allowed to doubt it. This is the finding of the 4th Cancer Barometer published on January 30 by the National Cancer Institute (Inca) and Public Health France, carried out in 2021 on 5,000 people aged 15 to 85.
While the main risk factors are spontaneously cited – tobacco, alcohol, food – some figures seem problematic: thus, more than one in five smokers (21.2%) consider that there is a risk of tobacco-related cancer only beyond 20 cigarettes smoked per day. Similarly, more than 6 in 10 people believe that the number of cigarettes smoked per day is more serious than the duration of smoking. And more than one in two French people are convinced that playing sports can cleanse their lungs of tobacco.
In most cases, according to the Barometer, respondents place the risk cursor above their own consumption. The problem is that, very often, smokers have not discussed these risks with a health professional, while the advice of a specialist on quitting smoking significantly increases the chances of success according to the ‘INCa.
“Drinking a little wine reduces the risk of cancer” for 1 in 5 people
The impact of alcohol, despite being the second avoidable cancer risk factor (but cited in 3rd position by the population, behind tobacco and food), is recognized by 92% of those questioned, which does not prevent 23 .5% of them say that “drinking a little wine reduces the risk of cancer, rather than not drinking it at all.”
On the other hand, the place of food in the concerns of the French regarding the risk of cancer is increasingly important. More than 9 out of 10 people perceive food as playing an important role on the risk of developing cancer – at the top of the list of foods harmful to our health, the latter place cold cuts, red meat and ultra-processed foods, while fruits and vegetables are seen as protective once morest disease.
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Finally, it appears that the respondents greatly overestimate the weight of heredity in the appearance of cancers (although only 10% of them are of genetic origin) and psychological factors – while the effects of anxiety, stress or emotional shock have not been proven.
More prevention messages, fewer regular screenings
A distorted perception of reality and our behavior which nevertheless directly harms our health explains the National Cancer Institute, which estimates that “40% of cancers might be avoided by developing favorable environments and behaviors” : nearly half of cancers would therefore be linked to our lifestyles. For example, 19,000 cancers are attributed each year to poor diet, recalls France Info.
Why do we have such a hard time spotting risky behavior? First, because the messages broadcast are very contradictory. Indeed, more than half of those surveyed concede having difficulty finding their way among all the recommendations, an observation shared by Suzette Delaloge, oncologist, interviewed by France Info: “Alcohol in very small quantities can be a little protective on certain cardiovascular risks, but not at all on cancer. On the contrary, it increases the risks of many cancers.”
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This lack of clear information affects screening campaigns, which few French people use regularly, and therefore the detection of certain cancers: “Even if the majority of women say they have already carried out screening tests for breast cancer ( 95.6%) or cervix (92.7%), they are less likely to state that they are up to date with these screenings (only 68.8% for breast cancer and 76.8% for the cervix)”, indicates the barometer. On the men’s side, only a third of those over 50 have ever been screened for prostate cancer over his lifetime – down from 2010.
However, the prevention messages are bearing fruit, even if the screening figures might be higher: the barometer indicates, for example, that 58.4% of French people would have carried out one for colorectal cancer following being made aware of it by a doctor.
