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Little known to cancer patients, supportive care is complementary care to that administered to treat their disease but which is just as important. Indeed, they reduce the side effects of treatments and improve the quality of life. This is why the Mutualité Française and the League against Cancer are joining forces to facilitate their access.
Supportive care includes the care provided to cancer patients in parallel with treatments that allow them to fight against their disease. According to the National Cancer Institute (InCa), this care concerns “pain, diet and appropriate physical activity, psychological and/or social support, including aspects related to professional life, sexuality and fertility and support for caregivers”.
Treatments that are still under-prescribed
If they have their place with patients, this care unfortunately remains at present still too little prescribed and often unknown to the patients themselves. The use of this care is “still too low and their coverage by the Health Insurance still insufficient” underline the Mutualité Française and the League against cancer. “This is why information and communication on their therapeutic interest must be amplified” they add.
Better support patients
The Mutualité Française and the League against cancer are therefore joining forces to “support access to this care“. Indeed, the treatment of a cancer does not stop at the treatment of the disease alone. “Adapted physical activity, dietary advice, psychological support, social support or even maintaining or returning to employment: patients and their relatives can benefit from a range of care and support complementary to specific cancer treatments. says the press release.
Content-rich collaboration
This collaboration will lead to the development of various contents such as videos, webinars and various documents to present the therapeutic interest of this care but also the coverage provided by the social protection system, in particular mutual insurance companies. This educational content will be distributed and made available to mutual insurance companies but also to health professionals in Mutualité Française establishments.
According to its president, Eric Chenut, “Many mutuals are now involved in daily support services to support the patient, from the announcement of the diagnosis until the return to work. With this partnership, we want to go further and increase the involvement of mutual insurance companies to improve the quality of life and better living, during and after, of people affected by the disease.”.