In an op-ed in Le Monde, Philippe Bergerot, president of the Ligue contre le cancer, criticizes the state's focus on curative care and advocates for local action in prevention ahead of municipal elections and World Cancer Day on February 4.
Philippe Bergerot, president of the Ligue contre le cancer, publishes an op-ed in Le Monde to highlight shortcomings in France's public health policy. On the occasion of World Cancer Day, February 4, the usual speeches will spotlight medical advances: six out of ten cancers are now treatable, twelve times more than a century ago. Yet Bergerot stresses the need to go further by focusing on prevention, which could avoid nearly 40 percent of cases diagnosed annually.
According to the Institut national du cancer, 430,000 new cancers were identified in 2023, about 170,000 of which could have been prevented. The author denounces neglected collective responsibility, where individual choices are shaped by an imposed environment. Instead of guilt-inducing injunctions like 'stop smoking,' 'exercise,' or 'eat organic,' which widen life expectancy gaps between the precarious and the affluent, he calls for concrete actions.
Bergerot faults the state for its inertia and short-term vision, prioritizing curative over preventive care. He views municipalities as the ideal scale for organizing this fight, especially ahead of municipal elections. This approach would allow planning tomorrow's health today, exposing current system weaknesses.