Lung cancer: screening offered to 20,000 people starting in March

"We want widespread lung cancer screening by 2030, and it will start in March with more than 20,000 people being able to be screened in a targeted way for lung cancer."Stéphanie Rist emphasized on Franceinfo on the occasion of World Cancer Day. The 20,000 people tested, as part of this pilot project announced for 2025, "will allow us, by 2030, to determine which French people need to be screened"she continued, adding that"We are really moving towards mass screening, as we do for breast cancer or colon cancer."

Lung cancer causes more than 30,000 deaths per year

Caused in about eight out of ten cases by tobacco, lung cancer, marked by an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the lungs, remains the most fatal malignant tumor in France, with 30,400 deaths each year.

Read morePharmacists and physiotherapists massively mobilized, according to unions

While the number of new cases is stabilizing for men, it is increasing sharply for women, who started smoking later in life. Because lung cancer symptoms take a long time to appear, most diagnoses are made too late, complicating treatment and reducing survival rates.

As part of the experiment, "20,000 volunteer participants will be recruited over a period of 18 to 24 months."the Ministry of Health specifies. "These will be people aged 50 to 74, smokers and ex-smokers (who quit less than 15 years ago), with, for example, a cumulative tobacco consumption of at least 20 packs per year.", according to the same source.

Read morePink October: star meals for women operated on in Aix-en-Provence

Read also"We didn't expect such a positive result": pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest, eliminated in mice

The benefits of organized lung cancer screening

Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of organized lung cancer screening: a low-dose scan for people at risk makes it possible to detect small, early-stage tumors early and to reduce the risk of death by about 20 to 25%.

Read alsoLung cancer: is air pollution more dangerous than passive smoking?

In addition, Stéphanie Rist announced "another screening (...) also as part of an experiment to target people who are at high risk of breast cancer"In France, three cancers (breast, colorectal, cervical) are subject to organized screening, systematically offered to a target population.