There are campaigns that dare everything to raise awareness. Last year, the League Against Cancer struck a major blow with two words that were impossible to ignore: “Fuck off”.
A crude, almost shocking sentence that went viral because it said out loud what we too often avoid naming out of modesty. It is therefore repeating this year, with the same slogan.
A cancer that claims 17,000 lives each year
However, behind the provocation lies a dramatic medical reality. Colorectal cancer is one of the deadliest in France with 17,000 deaths per year. “It’s a tragic paradox.”
underlines Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of True Medical. “We have available a simple, free and rapid test that can detect the disease at an early stage.
Who is affected by this screening?
The national organized screening program is aimed at a specific target. If you are between 50 and 74 years old, have no symptoms (pain, visible blood) and have no personal or family history of polyps or colon cancer, you are concerned.
Health Insurance sends you an invitation every two years. As Dr. Kierzek states, “This immunological test is intended for people said to be “at average risk”. For those with symptoms or high risk factors, such as inflammatory bowel disease, the strategy is different: colonoscopy straight away.”
How to obtain the screening kit?
Once your invitation is received, several options are available to you:
- At your pharmacist (fastest);
- At your doctor (general practitioner, gynecologist or gastroenterologist);
- Online via the official website monkit.depistage-colorectal.fr.
“Visiting a healthcare professional remains ideal to confirm eligibility and discuss temporary contraindications, such as active hemorrhoids or heavy periods, which could distort the results. advises Gérald Kierzek.
Instructions for use: the step-by-step test
Carrying out the test only takes a few minutes and can be done entirely at home. The kit contains a blue envelope with instructions for use, an identification sheet and a collection tube.
- Preparation: Fill out the identification form and stick the label on the tube.
- Collection: Stick the collection sheet provided to the toilet seat to prevent stool from touching water or urine.
- Collection: Scrape the surface of the stool with the stem of the tube (2 to 3 different areas), return the stem to the tube and shake five times.
- Sending : “Avoid taking the test on the weekend or the day before a holiday“warns Dr. Kierzek.”Sample should be posted within 24 hours. In the meantime, you can store it in the refrigerator.
Understanding your results: what next?
The laboratory analyzes your sample within 3 to 15 days. You can view the results online or receive them by mail.
- If the test is negative (90% of cases): Screening is completed. It will simply have to be renewed in two years;
- If the test is positive: This means that blood has been detected (not necessarily cancer). “A positive test requires a colonoscopy, which will be 100% covered.” explains Dr. Kierzek. “It is this examination which will allow possible polyps to be removed before they become cancerous or to treat early cancer.
Colorectal cancer is not inevitable. By overcoming embarrassment and devoting five minutes to this test every two years, you regain power over your health. “Remember: detected early, this cancer is curable in 90% of cases. So, follow the advice of the League: don’t let taboo prevail” concludes Dr Gérald Kierzek.