Credit: MSSS

Luxembourg’s Ministry of Health and Social Security has launched its “Blue March” initiative, dedicated to the prevention and screening of colorectal cancer.

The ministry announced it was renewing its campaign "Getting screened means giving yourself the best chance”. This initiative aims to raise awareness of the importance of organised screening for colorectal cancer, which represents approximately 10% of cancer cases and, according to the World Health Organization, is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the world.

The ministry reported that, since the 2021 launch of the organised colorectal cancer screening programme (PDOCCR) in Luxembourg, 302,164 invitations have been sent and 74,798 screening tests carried out. This represents a participation rate of just under 28%, below the European average of 36%. According to Digestive Cancers Europe (DCE), participation varies considerably across Europe, reaching up to 77% in Finland, compared to only 8% in Hungary. The ministry confirmed that it aims to increase the screening rate in Luxembourg because, if detected early, colorectal cancer is curable in nine out of ten cases.

The Ministry of Health and Social Security explained that the programme is aimed at 45- to 74-year-old women and men, who are affiliated to the CNS. People who receive an invitation can collect their free screening kit at pharmacies or at a Bionext laboratory collection centre. The kit can also be ordered online kit via: https://guichet.public.lu/en/citoyens/sante/vaccination-prevention/cancer-colorectal.html or by telephone from the Bionext laboratory: 273-21888. 

The screening kit will be sent by post. People who have already been screened through the programme automatically receive a new screening kit with their invitation, without prior ordering.

The kits, containing the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), are designed to be hygienic and easy to use, and are available in French, German, Luxembourgish, Portuguese and English.

Once the test has been carried out at home, it can be sent by post or dropped off at a Bionext laboratory collection centre. The result will then be transmitted directly by the laboratory.

Non-residents of Luxembourg, belonging to the targeted age group and affiliated to the CNS, can also participate by contacting the Cancer Screening Programme Coordination Centre via tel: 247-75550 or by email: colorectal@ms.etat.lu.

The ministry added that as part of the “Getting screened means giving yourself the best chance” campaign, numerous awareness-raising actions are planned, including a new video tutorial to help the public carry out the FIT test.

The ministry recommended the following preventive measures to limit the risks of developing colorectal cancer:

- avoid tobacco and smoking; 
- adopt a balanced diet rich in fibre;
- limit the consumption of red meat and processed meats;
- maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity and being overweight:
- avoid consuming alcohol; 
- practise regular physical activity.

HOM