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The “Blue March,” beginning Sunday, March 1st, is a public health initiative designed to increase awareness of colorectal cancer screening. In nine out of ten cases, tumors affecting both the colon and rectum are treatable if detected early.
“I want to shout it from the rooftops: if you are 45 or older, see your doctor!” urged James Van Der Beek, known for his role in the series Dawson, before his death. The American actor succumbed to colorectal cancer in early February, impacting his rectum and colon, at just 48 years ancient. In France, 47,000 people are diagnosed annually, and 17,000 die from the disease, making it the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, according to the National Cancer Institute (Inca). However, the same source indicates that in nine out of ten cases, colorectal cancer can be cured if treated early enough. This highlights the importance of proactive health management and early detection.
The “Blue March” campaign begins Sunday, March 1st. A central focus of the initiative is to promote awareness of the screening program, which has been in place since 2015 for all individuals aged 50 to 74, who are at higher risk of developing this type of cancer. Every two years, they are invited, via a letter from the National Health Insurance, to send a free stool sample to a testing laboratory. If blood is detected, a colonoscopy is then performed, “allowing for the identification of benign lesions before they develop into cancer or the detection of cancer at an early stage,” explains the Ameli.fr website.
“The majority of colorectal cancers develop after the appearance of a polyp [a benign tumor that grows slowly and eventually becomes cancerous] which causes slight bleeding,” explains Valérie Zimmerlé, a physician at the Regional Cancer Screening Coordination Center, to La Provence. “What we have is what we endeavor to detect as early as possible [with screening] to identify cancers at an asymptomatic stage and precancerous lesions.”
However, “participation in colorectal cancer screening remains very low in France,” noted a report by the European Organisation for Cancer published in May 2025. Only “34% of the population aged 50 to 74” participated in 2022, the document notes, highlighting a lack of communication surrounding screening. “If people don’t do it, it’s primarily for a psychological reason, not a medical one, because it’s very simple to do and non-invasive,” explains Jean-Marc Sène, a general practitioner in Paris, to TF1, while acknowledging that it is a “sensitive subject that is still taboo.”
In addition to screening, several symptoms can indicate the development of the disease. These include changes in bowel habits, such as progressive constipation, persistent diarrhea, recurrent nausea, and vomiting, as well as a constant urge to use the toilet, narrower-than-usual stools, or a feeling of incomplete evacuation. “Diarrhea or constipation” are very often observed, continues Bertrand Célérier, a surgeon at the University Hospital of Bordeaux, on YouTube. “The most common case is an alternation of these two symptoms,” he continues.
The “most alarming” sign, according to Bertrand Célérier, is the presence of blood in the stool. This bleeding can also cause another symptom, anemia (a lack of iron in the blood), which can be detected during a blood test for another reason. “It is critical to observe your stools,” emphasizes Pauline Jouët, a gastroenterologist at Avicenne Hospital in Bobigny (Seine-Saint-Denis), to the Figaro. “Thinner stools,” or the feeling of having “poorly evacuated,” may be a sign that the “inside of the intestine is narrowing,” she details.
it is important to be vigilant if a mass is detected during an abdominal palpation, points out the Inca. Vigilance is also required if a person suddenly loses weight and appetite, eats less, or feels very fatigued for no explainable reason. “As other diseases can cause the same symptoms, it is important to talk to your primary care physician during a consultation,” emphasizes the National Health Insurance. “In general – not always – if there are symptoms, it means the cancer is already advanced, with larger lesions. This does not mean it is inoperable,” assures gastroenterologist Emilien Daire in Le Figaro.
