Thursday kicks off the Pink October campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer.
With the health crisis, there is even more urgency this year, warns the president of the League against cancer Axel Kahn on Europe 1. Because the confinement has led to delays in diagnosis.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women (over 58,000 cases per year), and remains the leading cause of cancer death among them (over 12,000 deaths per year).
The organization of screening between 50 and 74 years has made it possible to reduce by 20% the mortality due to this cancer, but this year more than ever, the League against Cancer calls on the occasion of Pink October the women who have in doubt or who are concerned by the screening, to do their control mammogram.
Because since the start of the health crisis, there have been delays in diagnosing breast cancer.
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During confinement, 50% of expected cancer diagnoses
"This year, due to the Covid health crisis, there is a considerable delay in the diagnosis of cancers in general, and more particularly of breast cancer. During this period of confinement, over the three months, there is no There were only half of the cancer diagnoses which one expected, details Axel Kahn, president of the League against cancer.
"Therefore, while delays in diagnosis of two or three months should not normally be of consequence, we are now probably in some cases with delays of five or six months."
More consequent delays which for once can be dangerous: in certain cases, explains Axel Kahn, "there is reason to be worried because this leads to lost chances. This means, alas, possibly surely the lives of lost women ".