Diagnosed with throat and tongue cancer in 2013, the French singer is no longer in remission. Her cancer comes back.
He thought he could sing again. But a few months after his operation, Michel Delpech learns that his cancer is back. It’s in his biography To live ! at Plon (1) that the French singer recounts his fight and his recurrence.
“Two months ago the pain woke up. Deep in the throat […]. In fact, I had not healed. […] My recurrence is not very original, it is even quite common when you have cancer, ”writes the interpreter of For a flirt.
ENT cancer
Since early 2013, Michel Delpech has been fighting against oropharyngeal cancer. This cancer is one of the cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (VADS). They are also called cancers of the ENT sphere (nose-throat-ears) or “cancers of the head and neck”. VADS are made up of the organs that allow the passage of air and food: the nasal cavity, sinuses, mouth, pharynx and larynx.
In France in 2011, the number of new cases of VADS cancer was around 14,000 people. Almost three quarters of the sick are men. However, the incidence in women tends to increase with the progression of smoking. These cancers most often occur between the ages of 50 and 64.
Intermediate survival rate
These cancers are classified in the “intermediate prognosis” category with a survival rate of between 20 and 80%. As Michel Delpech writes, recurrence in this case of cancer is not uncommon. According to the Swiss Association of Cancer Registries, one in seven people will have a second cancer of the ENT sphere in their lifetime.
Source: Treatments for cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract, Patient Guide Collection / Les Cancers, National Cancer Institute.
(1) Released on March 19, 2015
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