March 16 to 22 is National Cancer Awareness Week. On this occasion, the League against cancer publishes a new survey on the perception of French against cancer. For the first time, the French are less worried than before. 56% do not feel “personally in danger” from this disease. They were 51% to think so in 2012.
While cancer remains the leading cause of death in France (148,000 deaths from cancer in 2012), respondents put its seriousness into perspective. They say 91% that we “treat better and better” cancer (against 87% in 2012).
On the other hand, post-cancer raises concerns. In particular, the financial problems associated with the disease. “The feeling that post-cancer is complicated, especially to obtain a bank loan or insurance, is very widely shared”, specifies the League against cancer, taken up by AFP. 62% of French people say that former patients often have trouble making ends meet after recovery. 82% believe that it is more difficult to find a bank loan or to obtain insurance.
The “right to be forgotten”, whereby people cured of cancer no longer have to tell banks and insurers that they have suffered from the disease, is one of the priorities of the third Cancer Plan. This “generic right to be forgotten” should be included in the government’s health bill presented to the Assembly on Tuesday, reports Europe 1.
Cancer affects approximately 355,000 French people every year according to the National Cancer Institute.
>> To read also: Cancer: the co-joint of the patient even more worried by a recurrence
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