Will screening for cervical cancer develop in France? That is what the Ministry of Health wants to do. The National Cancer Institute has reviewed all possible scenarios to establish the strategy that offers a better benefit.
Will screening for cancer of the cervix be organized, just like that of breast cancer in France? This is advocated by the National Institute of Cancer (Inca) in a medical-economic study. A recommendation that goes in the direction of the Ministry of Health which wishes to pass from an individual screening, spontaneous, to a generalized screening within the framework of its 3rd plan cancer 2014-2019.
According to official figures, cervical cancer affects 3,000 women and causes 1,000 deaths each year. It can be detected early with a cervical uterine smear (FCU) every three years between 25 and 65 years of age. This cancer is mainly due to a virus called "human papillomavirus" (HPV). The body generally succeeds in eliminating the infection but it persists in some cases at the level of the cervix and causes lesions that can evolve towards cancer, in 10 to 15 years on average.
"The smear makes it possible to detect as early as possible these precancerous or cancerous lesions of the cervix and thus to treat the cancer earlier or even to prevent its appearance. 10 could be prevented through regular screening by smears, "explains the Inca.
Is smear the best solution?
It remains to be seen what modality can take this organized screening against the 10th most frequent cancer in women in France and it is on this subject that the Inca pronounced itself. According to the Cancer Plan 2014-2019, its findings show that there are "efficiencies" in establishing a national organized screening program based on several axes.
These include a system of invitations for women who are not spontaneously involved in screening, use of the FCU in primary screening and follow-up of all positive screened women. But for an optimal cost / result ratio, a strategy different from that of this third cancer plan is evoked.