Breast cancer: screening in France remains ‘low’, with only every second woman participating

Breast cancer screening remains “low” in France, where fewer than one in two women aged 50 to 74 participate in it, according to a study published by French Public Health, which, among other things, points to the ongoing impact of the health crisis. Covid related. .

Faced with the most common and deadly cancer for them (12,000 deaths per year), French women aged 50 to 74 are offered a clinical breast examination and mammogram every two years, followed by a repeat examination by an expert if the first is normal or a diagnostic assessment in the case suspicious image.

In 2023, approximately 2.6 million women received organized screening mammography, or a 48.2% participation rate (up from 44.8% in 2022). “There is therefore an increase in participation in 2023, but participation in the two rolling years 2022-2023 (46.5%) remains lower than in 2021-2022 (47.7%),” notes the study published this year. week.

Impact of coronavirus

France is struggling to reach the European target of at least 70%. The country’s participation rate has been on a downward trend for about a decade, which is also due to the effects of the Covid crisis.

“After increasing in 2011–2012 to a peak of 52.3%, participation in the program has since declined for all age groups and all regions,” the study highlights.

The impact of the Covid crisis is “continuing”, the health agency points out, according to which the “invitation cycle” for cancer screening has been “disrupted”, appointment times have been extended and “therefore mammograms are being carried out.

Moreover, since about 2015, “a gradual decline in the number of breast cancer cases has already led to difficulties in making appointments with a gradual extension,” the study notes.

Therapeutic merits and “doubts about usefulness”

“It is likely that the impact of Covid disruption will again impact participation calculations in 2024,” a year that will also see the new screening arrangement for which health insurance has regained control. invitations.

Apart from the Covid crisis, a previous SpF study in July put forward several hypotheses to explain the downward trend in breast cancer screening participation, including “benefit doubts” or “medical desertification”.

Another lesson: the incidence of cancer detected among women undergoing screening is rising regularly in France, “corresponding to the observed increase in the incidence of breast cancer in the population,” especially among the youngest categories. Mammography is also performed outside of organized screening.