Marion Cros, pharmacist: "Octobre Rose is a call for prevention and hope"!

Octobre Rose is the major event of the year regarding the fight against breast cancer. It remains the most common and deadliest cancer among women. In France, it affects nearly 59,000 women per year and causes more than 12,000 deaths. Thus, on October 1st, as part of the Octobre Rose campaign in collaboration with several florists (including the Palais des Fleurs in La Londe) and Max Bauer, former president of the Coordination Rurale of Var and a great expert on the file of rose producers in Hyères, the pharmacie Cros offered a rose to its female customers.

THE MOST WIDESPREAD CANCER

On the occasion of this new campaign, Marion Cros recalls what is at stake: "It is important to know that the risk increases with age, but it can also affect young women. Thanks to screening and treatments, about 9 out of 10 women are still alive 5 years after diagnosis. Furthermore, a national screening program invites women aged 50 to 74 to have a mammogram, reimbursed by the Sécurité Sociale, every 2 years. Finally, a healthy lifestyle must also be maintained by practicing physical activity, monitoring one's diet, and, of course, avoiding alcohol and tobacco consumption. For several years, I have noticed an evolution in mentalities among women. Breast cancer, which was once a taboo for our parents, is no longer so. Women no longer have as many apprehensions as before regarding pap smears or breast exams. It is recommended to have your breasts examined (observation and palpation) by your general practitioner, your gynecologist, or your midwife. Practice has also evolved among gynecologists. There are still a few refusals among the women concerned, but this remains anecdotal." The pharmacist continues: "With approximately 61,214 new cases in 2023 and more than 900,000 people affected in France, breast cancer is the most common of female cancers, affecting one in eight women, but it also concerns men. 80% of breast cancers develop after age 50 and the median age of diagnosis is 64. Detected early, breast cancer is cured in 9 out of 10 cases. It is between 50 and 74 years old that 80% of breast cancers are discovered and women are most exposed, which justifies the organized screening strategy set up in France for women in this age group. After age 74, screening is not abandoned but individualized. By changing certain habits, our lifestyle, or our environment, it is estimated that 40% of cancers can be avoided."

THE EXAMPLE OF ARLETTE

"However, we must also know that this cancer has a significant psychological impact because, beyond the physical illness, it also has an impact on morale, self-image, love life, and professional life," warns the pharmacist. For the young woman, this Octobre Rose campaign resonates in a very special way: "My mother, Arlette, had breast cancer when I was very young, and then she had to face three other cancers. I saw how much there was a before and an after in her life. It is not only the physical body that is affected, but, above all, the morale, the psyche, the self-confidence. Rebuilding oneself after such a journey is extremely difficult!" Arlette testifies to her experience with the disease: "It has already been 22 years since I was operated on, and even today, I have after-effects. My daily life has become complicated with persistent pain. You have to tame the pain, accept it, and work around it to live differently." In short, beyond the disease, Octobre Rose recalls the importance of regular screening. "The fight against breast cancer is about preventing, screening, treating, but also supporting. And that is why donations are essential because they allow research to advance, to invent new treatments, and to improve the quality of life of patients. Octobre Rose is much more than an awareness campaign, it is a call for solidarity, prevention, and hope," concludes Marion Cros.

PHARMACIE CROS:

10 avenue du 15ème Corps in Hyères.