Is it possible to prevent certain cancers? In France, the figures are alarming. This disease is the leading cause of premature mortality, ahead of cardiovascular conditions. According to the Arc Foundation for Cancer Research, 3.8 million people are living with this diagnosis today.
Worldwide, it is the second leading cause of death, with approximately 10 million deaths annually. The statistics explode among those under 40: scientists have observed an increase in incidence among young adults, which could be explained in particular by environmental causes.
Finally, in September 2025, The Lancet, British weekly scientific medical journal, published a worrying study, the result of the work of more than 2000 researchers: our country has one of the highest incidence rates of cancer in the world. The number of cases reported to the population is 389.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Curative-focused system
This figure can partially be explained by the aging of the population: the longer we live, the greater the risk of developing this disease. But it also reveals that, in a French health system essentially focused on curative treatment, prevention is proving to be a failure. “The preventive problem is suboptimal”, regrets François Alla, head of the prevention department at Bordeaux University Hospital, one of the only units of this nature in our country.
