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Each year, blood cancers affect approximately 45,000 people in France, i.e. 12% of new cases of cancer! However, they remain largely unknown: a new “Red September” campaign brings them out of the shadows.
In many countries, the month of September is dedicated to blood cancer awareness. Also, the association “Living with an NMP” has decided to raise the subject loud and clear in France in order to make blood cancers known to as many people as possible through the operation: Red September. This new edition will have the slogan: “Red September, it’s me, it’s you, it’s us: blood cancers don’t just happen to others!”.
Blood cancers remain little known to the general public
Beyond leukaemias, lymphomas and myelomas, there are a large number of blood cancers for which patients and doctors are hoping for progress, both in diagnosis and in treatment. Among these cancers, there are many rare diseases (affecting less than one person in 2,000, i.e. for France less than 30,000 patients per pathology), such as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) which originate from a mutation of genes in the bone marrow. Rare cancers, then, hardly anyone talks about them…
Most often, their origin is an abnormal change (mutation) in a stem cell of the bone marrow. This mutation causes an overproduction of one or more types of blood cells (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets), or a deterioration of the fibers of the bone marrow. These diseases are linked to a genetic anomaly and are therefore not hereditary. Treatments against these diseases are numerous, often heavy and invasive, sometimes disabling due to very distressing side effects, not always enough.
An unprecedented mobilization
This year, many personalities are supporting September Rouge by participating in an awareness clip: Patrice Leconte, Nathalie Saint-Cricq, Stéphane Bern, Thomas Sotto and many others.
In mainland France and overseas, several municipalities will follow in the footsteps of the Château de Cheverny, the first of 25 places to have lit a facade in red for a month in 2022.
As part of September Red, free webconferences intended for the general public will be organized in particular on Monday, September 11, on NMP from A to Z
During these conferences, organized in partnership with Dis-moi Santé*, Professor Jean-Jacques Kiladjian (Saint-Louis, Paris) and Professor Jean-Christophe Ianotto (CHU, Brest) – hematologists and members of the scientific council of “Living with an NPM”.
The floor will also be given to patients, including Karin Tourmente-Leroux, president of the association and author of Funny trip to a country that does not exist, the story of the first year after her diagnosis.
More information on www.vivreavecunenmp.com
This second edition is supported by the SFH (French Society of Hematology), the French Blood Establishment, and is conducted in partnership with the FIM (France Intergroup of Myeloproliferative Syndromes), the AIH (Association of Interns in Hematology), Tell me Health, the Paris Fire Brigade and the Press Club de France.