Your cancer screening rights

At the age of 50 women should receive a letter from their CPAMs inviting them to go for a mammogram.

If you do not receive a letter, you should ask your GP (médecin traitant).

Women aged 50 - 74 should have a test every two years and this is reimbursed at 100%.

Both men and women of the same age are invited to take colorectal cancer tests every two years.

Your GP can supply you with free sample kits to be sent for analysis.

For those with a family history of the disease should get a (free) colonoscopy every five years.

Cervical smear tests (un frottis de dépistage) are recommended for all adult women 18 or over who have had sex.

The first one should be followed by another a year later, then one every three years until aged 69.

This simple procedure can be done by a GP, and is reimbursed at the standard 70%.

The Association Française d’Urologie recommends men have blood tests for prostate cancer (dépistage du cancer de la prostate) every year from 50 to 75, or from age 45 if two close relatives have had the disease, or if you are black.

These procedures are reimbursed at a standard 70%.