Thirty-four percent. That's the participation rate among 50- to 74-year-olds in organized colorectal cancer screening via the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), according to data reported by *Le Figaro*. In other words, two out of three French people in this age group are not participating, even though the FIT is done at home, discreetly, without a doctor's visit. And when the result is positive, beware of misinterpretation: it doesn't mean "cancer," but it does mean "colonoscopy." As soon as possible, because the goal is to identify the source of any bleeding and detect any lesions before they progress.
Behind the somewhat anxiety-inducing term, colonoscopy often plays the role of the firefighter before the blaze: it doesn't just observe, it can intervene. Gastroenterologists remind us that the examination also allows for the removal of polyps, those small growths that, over time, can develop into cancer. Professor Marc Barthet, president of the French Society of Digestive Endoscopy, sums it up bluntly: "It allows us to remove polyps or early-stage cancers without surgery or chemotherapy." A simple, almost commonplace statement, but one that says it all: the longer we wait, the more arduous the treatment becomes, and the more the "loss of opportunity" ceases to be a specialist's term and becomes a personal reality.
The colonoscopy, the appointment that can change everything
Colonoscopy: The Appointment That Can Change Everything. A study published on March 10, 2026, in the *Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin* examined the experiences of over 530,000 people who had a positive FIT test between 2016 and 2020. The verdict: 87% ended up having a colonoscopy within two years, a level close to European standards. Two years is both reassuring in terms of overall follow-up… and frankly a long time when recommendations call for faster confirmation. In prevention, which hinges on timing, the difference between "soon" and "in a few months" can be significant, and screening loses some of its promise if it leads to a waiting list.
So, why these delays? The reality on the ground is unequal access to endoscopy, areas where finding an appointment is as difficult as finding a parking space on a match night, and a strained medical workforce that is overwhelming the technical facilities. Health authorities, especially during "Blue March" (a national awareness campaign), are hammering home the message: a positive test must lead to an immediate appointment, otherwise the system breaks at its most crucial link. The real issue, ultimately, isn't just convincing more French people to get tested, but guaranteeing that, once the result is in, the medical system will be able to keep pace. Who will long accept a testing program that starts off strong and then grinds to a halt at the worst possible moment?
