Nearly 60 % of people with cancer, heal, but 61 % of them consider that the “after cancer” is more difficult to deal with than the treatments. On the other hand, 73 % believe that this disease has been one of the more memorable events of their existence and 19 % felt that it helped them ” a new start “. What are the main teachings of the 7th edition of the Observatory societal of the League against cancer. The results of the study have been published this Monday morning, this first day of pink October, dedicated to breast cancer. In its report entitled ” After cancer, the fight continues !, the association has focused on ” the impact of cancer up to 25 years after the end of treatment for the patients and their loved ones, whether family, social, economic or professional “.
the authors of the study consider it “incomprehensible” that only 32 % of respondents have heard the word “healing” in 10, 15 or even 20 years after the end of their treatments. They note that 7% of the respondents earn “very high consequences” psychological, physical, professional, financial, as well as on the projects of life. It most often affects women, people aged less than 60 years, those who have had multiple cancers, the patients who have completed their treatments in less than 5 years and those who had suffered from a cancer of the aero-digestive tracts.
to Better “protect”
The League regrets that ” 17% of respondents who had a professional activity before treatments have never returned to work “. Overall, ” 22 % were facing difficulties of access to employment and 21 % have experienced difficulties in the pursuit of their professional career “. The financial losses are deemed “important” by 27 % of respondents who stopped their professional activity during their treatment and by 42 % of respondents had never taken up their professional activity.
As for the rest to load, it remains high : one out of two declares a (estimated at 301 euros per year on average) between 2 and 5 years after the end of treatment and they are still almost 2 out of 10 be declared after more than 25 years of age (287 euros on average). These costs are related to transportation for follow-up exams or consultations with professionals such as psychologists or dieticians. They can also be due to drugs little or no reimbursed which are still prescribed in the period of post-cancer to prevent or treat adverse effects (29 %), exceedances of fees for operations of breast reconstruction, or change of breast implant for more than 10 years after the end of treatment (23 %), or dental problems (18 %). This is why the League asked for a “protection” on the long-term people who have been affected by cancer.
