Guest of the morning of Europe 1, Thursday, the geneticist Axel Kahn, president of the League against cancer, pointed to the "considerable consequences" that the coronavirus crisis will have according to him on the care of cancer patients, including many were not screened in 2020. 

INTERVIEW

It is the leading cause of death in men and the second in women: 400,000 new cases of cancer are detected in France each year.

To better fight against this disease, which kills 157,000 per year, Emmanuel Macron presents his strategy for the next ten years on Thursday.

Guest of the morning of Europe 1, the geneticist Axel Kahn, president of the League against cancer, lists the priority projects in his eyes in the matter ... And sounds the alarm about the health crisis of Covid-19, which has resulted in a drop in cancer detection. 

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Pathologies not treated in time during the health crisis

"There was a 23% decline in cancer diagnoses in 2020, which means that almost 100,000 cancers have not been diagnosed," according to Axel Kahn, who denounces an "unbearable" burden for those concerned, including the pathologies "could not be treated in time".

"The consequences in terms of lives lost are considerable," he warns. 

According to the geneticist, "there are thousands of cancer patients who will die within five years of their cancer because, indeed, their disease was not detected and optimally treated during this period." 

"The earlier a cancer is detected, the more effectively it is cured"

Improving screening, whatever the context, is therefore one of the axes to be developed according to Axel Kahn, who recalls that "the earlier a cancer is detected, the more effectively it is cured".

And to quote the breast cancer screening campaigns, followed by about 55% of French women - "it's generally much better in other countries" -, but also colorectal cancer, "cured in the vast majority of case when it is taken very early ". 

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The specialist sets two other priority objectives.

First of all prevention, in particular of the 160,000 cancers which "depend on practices of daily life", such as tobacco, alcohol, junk food or obesity.

But also research, "for the most difficult cancers to curb today, and also for supporting sick people so that they can recover not only from their cancer, but also from this social disease, social exclusion which often accompanies the cancer."