Age, diet, and awareness… Three things to know about colon cancer screening

1. It is recommended to take the test from the age of 50

From the age of 50, men and women receive a letter from Social Security encouraging them to get tested with a kit. The latter can be retrieved from your doctor using the user manual. Inside it, you’ll find a bowl and a collecting stick to dip it in the poo. The small container will be dispatched with a pre-stamped letter, preferably on a business day. Depending on the results, your physician may then advise you to have a colonoscopy for more accurate analyses. “If screenings are done early enough and cancers are treated in a timely manner, the tumor will be removed and patients will recover fairly quickly. Precisely for this reason, it is important to have this screening as early as 50 years old as possible.”insists Nadège Tascher, health director of the gastroscopy department at CHI Bonnet, in Fréjus.

2. By following a high-fiber diet and getting regular physical activity, you can prevent this cancer

Nathalie Masseboeuf, health director of nutrition and rehabilitation services at the foundation, who attended the hospital’s preventative workshops with the team of dietitians, gave patients a short quiz. According to her, to prevent colorectal cancer, it is necessary to follow a diet rich in fiber and eat at least 25 grams per day. High-fiber foods include fruits and vegetables (whole rather than juice), peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds (generally dried fruits), lentils, wholemeal bread, and chickpeas. But you should also combine your balanced diet with regular physical activity (walking, yoga, and muscle-strengthening) for at least 45 minutes three times a week, recommends Florine Malaquin, adaptive physical activity (APA) educator at the hospital.

3. See you at Nature Base on March 11th

This Saturday, Monique Dolzan, head of the Fréjus-Saint-Raphael Delegation Against Cancer League, is organizing a one-hour “Blue Walk” at 10 a.m. at the Nature Base. Five euros of the required contributions from each athlete will be donated to the federation. Until 1 p.m., the prevention booths will be open to all. Among them, the ADPS Savings Association and CHI Bonnet will be represented.