Institut national du cancer shared on LinkedIn:
“August 1: World Lung Cancer Day
The Panorama of cancers in France 2026 highlights a contrasting evolution.
In 2023, lung cancer represents:
- 52,777 new cases, making it the 2nd most common cancer in men and the 3rd most common in women;
- 31,167 deaths, making it the leading cause of cancer death in France.
Trends differ by gender:
- Among men, the incidence decreased slightly (-0.3% per year between 2019 and 2023);
- Among women, it continues to increase (+3.6% per year over the same period).
Because 80% of lung cancers are attributable to tobacco, prevention remains an essential lever. But the other major issue is that of screening: in 73% of cases, this cancer is detected at an advanced stage, which limits the chances of recovery.
This is the challenge of the IMPULSION pilot screening program, whose inclusions have been open since May 2026, in 5 regions (Île-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Pays de la Loire, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes).
Coordinated by Professors Marie Pierre Revel (Greater Paris University Hospitals – AP-HP) and Sébastien Couraud (Hospices Civils de Lyon – HCL), funded to the tune of €6 million by the Institut national du cancer and supported by the Direction Générale de la Santé – DGS and the Regional Health Agencies, this research program aims to include 20,000 people. More than a hundred health professionals are already mobilized in the field.
It is aimed at smokers and ex-smokers aged 50 to 74 (who have stopped smoking for less than 15 years) and is based on a low-dose chest CT scan (less than 10 minutes, without injection, double reading by radiologist + artificial intelligence), 100% covered by the Assurance Maladie, combined with a systematic offer of smoking cessation assistance.
International studies show that such screening can reduce mortality by 20 to 25%, and up to 38% combined with smoking cessation. In France, about 13,000 deaths could be avoided in 5 years thanks to this screening.
At the same time, the INCa acts throughout the process:
- Prevention thanks to Mon test prevention cancers and raising awareness among young people with the manga ‘In our hands’
- Support for healthcare professionals with recommendations for good clinical practice related to the treatment of bronchopulmonary and pleural cancers
- Supporting patients with the new edition of the Lung Cancer Treatment“
Jérôme Salomon, Chief Medical and Science Officer at Zoī, shared on LinkedIn a post by Institut national du cancer, adding:
“After screenings for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, this new screening is crucial because lung cancer is a major cancer that must be detected as early as possible to benefit from the most effective treatments and the best prognosis!”
Other articles about lung cancer on OncoDaily.