Prevention rather than cure: the Minister of Health, François Braun, announced the establishment of three free medical consultations at “three key ages of life”.
- Screening consists of detecting lesions before they become cancerous or cancers, the smallest and at the earliest possible stage, even before the first symptoms appear. Screening greatly increases the chances of recovery.
- The National Cancer Institute estimates the number of new cancer cases (incidence) at 382,000 and the number of deaths (mortality) at 157,400 in 2018 in France. The most common cancers are those of the prostate, breast, colon-rectum and lung.
“We are entering the era of prevention.” The Minister of Health, Françoi Braun, announced in a Sunday newspaper interview that free medical consultations will be offered to the French by the Health Insurance at “three ages of life, 25 years old, 45 years old and 65 years old”.
A “vast reform” of health policy
The measure will be part of the next social security financing bill (PLFSS) for 2023, presented at the end of September to the Council of Ministers.
“We are going to take better care of the children, who benefit from twenty examinations up to the age of 16, but also follow these generations during their lives”assured the minister, who had promised in early September a “extensive reform” of our health and prevention policy
Screening at any age
For 25-year-old French people, the medical visit will aim to “take stock of vaccines, their physical activity, possible addictions or difficulties related to the start of professional life”. They will also be informed about “the need to have a attending physician and the cardiovascular risk”.
At the age of 45, the age when the risk of tumor increases, the purpose of the medical consultation will be to recall the need for screening for the various most frequent cancers – breast, colon or even prostate -, and to carry out at the same time an assessment of patient’s physical activity and lifestyle.
At 65, finally, the doctor will discuss the “prevention of loss of autonomy”, screening for cancers and all serious pathologies related to age, starting with neurodegenerative diseases.
