cancer screening tests in France

[Liz]

Just a quick 'heads up' to say that if you don't get your usual 'rappel' letter for a breast or bowel cancer test (or whatever) do follow it up.
I hadn't had the letter for a mammogram due this month, so I dug out the last one and phoned the 'Dépistage des Cancers' centre. A very pleasant lady looked me up and found that for some reason or other I had fallen off their list, some sort of glitch in the system. Once she had re-entered me with my carte vitale number all my old info. showed up. Most odd - so worth the phone call.

[Blaze]

I also dropped off the plot once I'd passed the 10 year check point, in spite of the fact that I've been told to have a yearly check indefinitely. Although I'll get a "free" check every 2 years, I'll be charged every other year (I need to check if my mutuelle covers this)

[Char]

Just a quick 'heads up' to say that if you don't get your usual 'rappel' letter for a breast or bowel cancer test (or whatever) do follow it up.
I hadn't had the letter for a mammogram due this month, so I dug out the last one and phoned the 'Dépistage des Cancers' centre. A very pleasant lady looked me up and found that for some reason or other I had fallen off their list, some sort of glitch in the system. Once she had re-entered me with my carte vitale number all my old info. showed up. Most odd - so worth the phone call.

Just to add, don't put your letter to one side and think I'll do it next time - it could save your life, it did mine anyway.

[Headers]

I absolutely agree with Char. I put off getting my Mammo done for 3 months and they found a tiny breast tumour but it had already jumped to my spine. I often wonder whether the outcome would have been different if I’d gone on time.

[Polly]

Just a quick 'heads up' to say that if you don't get your usual 'rappel' letter for a breast or bowel cancer test (or whatever) do follow it up.
I hadn't had the letter for a mammogram due this month, so I dug out the last one and phoned the 'Dépistage des Cancers' centre. A very pleasant lady looked me up and found that for some reason or other I had fallen off their list, some sort of glitch in the system. Once she had re-entered me with my carte vitale number all my old info. showed up. Most odd - so worth the phone call.

Liz, an excellent reminder; sometimes we’re so busy rushing to get everything done that we forget these important checks - I’ll do it tomorrow…. next week etc. They really can save lives - my first breast cancer was spotted at a normal visit to the clinic for a mammogram in the UK.

[manonthemoon2]

My first breast cancer was mis diagnosed for 9 weeks, 5 different specialists with mammogram & ultrasound reports couldn't see I had cancer.

Finally diagnosed and the first oncologist I saw spotted it straight away.

So, if you're instinct tells you something isn't right follow that up too.