Breast cancer remains the most frequent cancer among women in France, with approximately 61,000 new cases and an estimated 12,000 deaths annually. Although it can be cured in 9 out of 10 cases when detected early, participation in organized screening in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region stands at 33.4% for the 2024-2025 period, below the national average of 45.6%. The challenge is therefore to enhance information, mobilization, and concretely facilitate access to screening.
Organized screening is offered every two years to women aged 50 to 74 who have no symptoms or high/very high risk. It includes a clinical breast exam and a mammogram by an approved radiologist, fully covered without upfront payment. This process detects 60% of cancers at an early stage, significantly improving prognosis and survival chances, which reached 88% at 5 years for women diagnosed between 2010 and 2015.
A quality guarantee is provided by the systematic double reading of mammograms deemed normal on the first review. A second expert radiologist performs a new analysis, detecting approximately 6% of cancers that might have been missed, thereby reducing the risk of false negatives.
Addressing territorial inequalities and still low participation, local outreach actions are being strengthened in the Paca region. Launched in September 2026 in four municipalities in Bouches-du-Rhône, the Mammobile is a mobile screening unit equipped to facilitate access to screening and enhance information. Supported by several cancer research institutes, it performs examinations within the organized screening program, in partnership with Assurance Maladie and the CRCDC.
Co-financed by the Région Sud and the ARS Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the Mammobile travels through the region's six departments in October, setting up directly in municipalities, especially those far from radiology centers or with insufficient screening participation rates. The goal is to overcome geographical barriers and offer mammography services closer to people's homes.
This collective mobilization, led by ARS Paca, Assurance Maladie, and CRCDC Sud Paca, aims to strengthen information, develop outreach actions, facilitate screening access in remote areas, reduce health inequalities, and improve participation in the organized screening program. It aligns with the national strategy for cancer control.
