The earlier the diagnosis of cancer is made, the lighter the treatments and the better the chances of recovery! Provided you go through the screening box. Follow the leader ! Do you want to live healthy as long as possible? Yes ? So prevention is better than cure! By giving the crab the fewest opportunities to nip you. To achieve this and allow an early diagnosis, make a gesture of love towards yourself:"Do not miss the screening appointments to which you are regularly invited" , advises Dr Anne Feyler, coordinating doctor of the Regional Center for the Coordination of Cancer Screening in New Aquitaine. Exams to perform even if you feel in great shape! -. These small gestures can save your life:mammogram, stool blood test to detect colorectal cancer, cervico-uterine sample ( smear)… If you are part of a so-called “at risk” family, specific examinations or monitoring rhythms may be prescribed for you (oncogenetic test for breast and colon cancers if there has already been several cases in your family, for example). ". In addition, in case of warning signs between two screenings, also consider consulting your doctor.
Despite the multiplication and repetition of public health messages, 40% of women aged 18 to 24 do not feel concerned by issues related to cancer 1 . While 3 out of 4 women wish to be screened, only 1 out of 4 has already undergone screening during her life. A paradox highlighted by the mutual AÉSIO and Harris Interactive study on Women's Health. What's stuck? According to Dr Muriel Viala-Trentini, Head of Medical Imaging at Clinique Beau Soleil at AÉSIO Santé in Montpellier, “de many women do not adhere to the screening, convinced that it is an unpleasant, dangerous (X-rays), painful examination... Let's put it into perspective:the compression of the breast can cause discomfort but the examination lasts a few seconds. To minimize the risk of pain, simply schedule your examination in the first part of the cycle, just after your period, a time when the breasts are less sensitive » . For those who postpone the exam for lack of means 2 , “remember that the mammography performed as part of organized screening is free, 100% covered by Health Insurance, with no advance payment. And for all those without clinical symptoms, "not sick", stressed just at the thought of the exam, take a deep breath and go with a friend, a sister... The game is worth the effort! The earlier a cancer is detected, the more likely it is to be cured.
It is not Sabrina Baudoin-Ellul, diagnosed at the age of 29 in a fortuitous way, - a kick of her baby in her breast having caused severe pain - who will say the opposite: "Be attentive to your body" , encourages the young woman, who in addition to regular monitoring, self-palpates her breasts. To the slightest anomaly, ball, flow, redness, bleeding, in the slightest doubt, do not hesitate to consult”. Even though breast cancer screening is not recommended before the age of 50, 20% of new cases concern this age group. Clarisse Pachabeyian, prevention and health promotion theme coordinator for AÉSIO Mutuelle and the AÉSIO Foundation, particularly aware and attentive to the subject thanks to her profession, has experienced this:"A small inner voice, my sixth sense can -be, urged me to do a mammogram before I turned 50. When I heard the radiologist say the words “carcinoma in situ”, I knew how important it was to listen to yourself” . Like them, do not hesitate to take the leap. Do not take refuge behind excuses, mental workload, received ideas such as “ENT cancers, it concerns men!”, too long delays to obtain an appointment… The solutions are not lacking:regional cancer screening coordination centers (CRDC), organized screening, mammaries, midwives, attending physicians, mutual health centres, associations, gynecologists, etc. Between prevention, screening and early detection, you have all the weapons in your hands so as not to let cancer have the last word!
1.2 AÉSIO Mutual x Harris Interactive Study on Women's Health - May 2021
Breast cancer:mammogram every 2 years between 50 and 74 years old (not bad!) and self-monitoring of the breasts (once a month, one week after your period or the 1 st of the month for menopausal women, even if your love life is on pause!)
Colorectal cancer:immunological test for blood in the stool every 2 years from 50 to 74 years old (maybe not very glamorous but simple to do at home) if you have no history. In case of personal or family history of colorectal diseases, monitoring by colonoscopy is recommended. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor for advice to determine the screening or follow-up methods best suited to your case.
Cancer of the cervix:cervico-uterine sample (or smear) from 25 to 65 years old to be done by a gynecologist, a midwife, certain general practitioners or in laboratories. Please note that the recommendations have changed. The rate and technique of analysis vary according to age:from 25 to 29 years old, it is a cytology every 3 years (after 2 normal smears 1 year apart) and from 30 to 65 years old, it is is an HPV test every 5 years>Even if you are single or postmenopausal! Remember that an annual appointment with your gynecologist, midwife or general practitioner for gynecological follow-up even without sexual activity or menopause is recommended.
Don’t forget the HPV vaccine for girls AND boys, from 11 years old!
Skin cancer:regular self-examination of the skin every quarter, on the lookout for a change in the appearance of moles (ABCDE rule:Asymmetry, Irregular edges, Uneven color, Diameter, Evolution), visit annual visit to a dermatologist and SPF 50 sunscreen, no excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays and simple protective reflexes (high protection sunscreen, hats, glasses) and of course avoid using tanning booths.
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