February 5, 2018.
According to a report on research advances, the French state could do much more in the fight against this disease which affects more and more patients every year.
400,000 new cancer cases in 2017
According to Public Health France, 400,000 new cases of cancer were recorded in 2017, nearly 54% in men (214,000) and 46% in women (186,000). In men, the most common cancers are prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon-rectal cancer. In women, breast cancer is clearly the most common (59,000 new cases) ahead of colon-rectal cancer and lung cancer.
But what is the French state’s involvement in the fight against cancer? Professors Fabien Calvo and Dominique Maraninchi tried to answer this question, at the request of the National Cancer Institute (INCA). According to their work, over the past 15 years, a large number of actions have contributed to lower death rates and to increase the long-term survival rate and the cure rate.
Where is cancer research at?
Yet there is a “but”. The two experts, one of whom was the Scientific Director of the INCA from 2007 to 2014 and the other its President for six years (2006-2011), considered that there was great progress to be made regarding the research. According to them, certain cancers, like cancers of the liver, pancreas and nervous system in children and adults, have not been the subject “ no very significant progress in their understanding and treatment “.
And the State would have its share of responsibility because the budgets allocated to research have continued to decline. The authors of this report are however optimistic and the arrival in the government of Agnès Buzyn, current Minister of Health, who is also a doctor, oncologist and former president of the INCA (from 2011 to 2016), is not there. for nothing. It would be unthinkable, according to them, for it to embark on a program to reduce spending on cancer. However, will she decide to increase the budgets?
Marine Rondot
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