Colorectal cancer develops inside the colon or rectum. It concerns both women and men, and it is more common after 50 years. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in France. Detected early, this cancer can however be cured in 9 out of 10 cases. This is why simple and rapid screening for colorectal cancer, and to do it yourself at home, is offered every 2 years to people over 50 years of age.
As the name suggests, colorectal cancer screening is used to find out if a person has colorectal cancer, more commonly known as bowel cancer.
This type of cancer is very common and is the second leading cause of cancer death in France. This cancer grows inside the colon or rectum, very slowly. The first signs are most often small lesions, called "polyps", which appear in these organs.
Screening for colorectal cancer makes it possible to detect cancer at an early stage, either before these polyps turn into cancer, or at the very beginning of the disease, with the consequence of greatly increased chances of recovery. It is estimated that detected early, colorectal cancer is cured in 9 out of 10 cases.
This quick and simple test to do at home is 100% covered by health insurance and therefore does not require any upfront costs.
Colorectal cancer, which can be fatal, is very common. It affects 4 men and 3 women out of 100, mainly after the age of 50.
This is why screening for colorectal cancer is systematically offered after this age, to both women and men.
Screening for colorectal cancer is recommended up to the age of 74 because it significantly reduces mortality from colorectal cancer.
Thus, all people aged 50 to 74 receive a letter every two years inviting them to collect from their doctor a test kit intended to screen for possible colorectal cancer. The doctor explains to his patient how to use this test and ensures that it is appropriate, in particular according to his personal and family history. The doctor also discusses the additional analyzes and examinations to be carried out, such as a colonoscopy for example, in the event that the screening for colorectal cancer proves positive once carried out.
People who have a history of colorectal cancer, polyps, or colon disease themselves or in their family are most often offered other forms of screening than this type of colorectal cancer screening by their doctor. P>
Screening for colorectal cancer is a simple and quick test to perform yourself at home. It mainly consists of being able to spot bleeding in the stool that is not visible to the naked eye and that comes from polyps when they grow.
This test aims to easily and very hygienically collect a stool sample using a dedicated rod, which is then placed in an airtight tube.
The colorectal cancer screening provided by the doctor includes a T envelope which allows the tube to be returned by post to a pre-filled address, to be analyzed in a laboratory.
The results of the colorectal cancer screening are then sent to the person who took the test, as well as to their doctor. If this test is negative (result which concerns 96% of cases), no other action is to be taken, except to repeat this screening for colorectal cancer after two years.
Nevertheless, between two screenings for colorectal cancer, in the event of the presence of blood in the stool, abdominal pain or unusual and persistent digestive disorders, it is necessary to consult your doctor.
If the colorectal cancer screening result is positive, it means that traces of blood were found in the stool, but it is not necessarily the detection of cancer. However, it is necessary to find the origin of the presence of this blood. The doctor then sends his patient to a gastroenterologist to perform a colonoscopy, a visual examination of the inside of the colon carried out under anesthesia. This examination can very often make it possible in particular to detect polyps which have not yet developed into cancer, and to remove them.
