By Amandine Cow
Published on 7 Apr 21 at 9:16
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As part of an awareness campaign for the cervical cancer screening, a gynecologist from the North and a general practitioner from Pas-de-Calais will animate a live-chat on social networks around this theme, the Thursday, April 8, 2021.
Two specialists to answer you
Organized by the CRCDC, Regional Center for the Coordination of Cancer Screening, in Hauts-de-France, this online discussion will be an opportunity for those who wish to ask questions related to cervical cancer.
Dr Katty Ardaens, gynecologist in Seclin (Nord) and Dr Marie-Laure Forzy, general practitioner in Calais (Pas-de-Calais), will be present to talk about this cancer and answer questions from internet users. They can be asked live or can be sent in advance *.
Cancer that could go away
The key takeaway message from this operation, which is part of a wider awareness campaign, is that screening could prevent 90% of cervical cancers.
“We have around 3,000 cases per year in France. If we did more screening, we could imagine that this cancer would disappear, ”explains Dr Forzy.
A very common virus
The specificity of cervical cancer is that it originates from the virus of the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. Present on the skin and mucous membranes, these viruses are most often transmitted during sexual intercourse.
Usually, the infection is naturally cleared by the body. But in some cases, it persists and can cause lesions which, if left untreated, can progress to cancer. “It develops 10 to 15 years later,” says Dr Forzy, who insists that all women are affected.
If it rarely develops into cancer, the danger is that screening is still too often late. “It is one of the only cancers whose prognosis has deteriorated in recent years with a 5-year survival rate of only 63%. In comparison, breast cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 88%, ”says the CRCDC.
Bad students in Hauts-de-France
In France, around 40% of women do not have regular checks. In Hauts-de-France, they are 53% to be tested, that is to say less than at the national level. Dr Forzy insists that the figures vary widely depending on the sector. She explains that in rural areas, screenings are generally less frequent.
However, this is a simple medical examination, commonly called a “smear”, which must be done every 3 years, in women aged 25 to 30, and every 5 years from 30. years and up to 65 years.
The doctor recalls that many solutions exist: “It is possible to be screened by your gynecologist, but also by your attending physician, a midwife, or even in health examination centers, where it is free, or family planning. ”
All concerned
“We note a better participation among young women, says Dr. Forzy. The median age at diagnosis is 53 years. However, we are concerned even after menopause, and even if we no longer have sex. ”
Men are also affected. They also contract the virus, which can turn into other diseases: cancer of the anus, penis or ear, or cause genital warts.
“There are more than 6,000 cancers in total, which could be prevented, thanks to screening and the vaccine,” said Dr Forzy. Because to curb the disease, a vaccine exists. For several years, it has been offered in France to young girls aged 11 to 14. And since 2021, France has been in tune with 130 other countries to offer it to young men of the same age, and even up to 19 years old.
And Dr Forzy concludes: “You have to keep in mind that contamination is very frequent. The condom does not prevent contamination, because it can be done outside of the sexual act, by simple caresses. “
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