Béatrice Fervers

Épidémiologie des cancers chez les femmes

En 2023, la France a recensé 187 526 nouveaux cas de cancer chez les femmes. L’objectif de cette synthèse est de présenter les principales tendances et les faits marquants de l’épidémiologie des cancers chez les femmes en France, tout en résumant les principaux facteurs de risque des cancers étudiés. Le cancer du sein est le cancer féminin le plus fréquent (31 % des cas). Les cancers gynécologiques (ovaires, endomètre et col de l’utérus) représentent 9 % des cancers féminins. De plus, l’incidence de nombreux cancers non gynécologiques (côlon-rectum, poumon, pancréas, foie, bouche et pharynx, et peau [mélanome]) est en augmentation chez les femmes. La prévention, et le dépistage, dont le taux reste faible en France, sont cruciaux face à cette progression des cancers féminins, dont 37 % sont liés à des facteurs évitables (tabac, alcool, obésité, habitudes alimentaires, et infections, notamment par les papillomavirus humains).

Frequency of Asbestos Exposure and Histological Subtype of Ovarian Carcinoma

The International Agency for Research on Cancer established a causal link between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer. However, the exposure frequency and histological characteristics of asbestos-associated ovarian cancers remain to be investigated in detail. This multicenter case–case study assessed the asbestos exposure in ovarian carcinoma (OC) patients, alongside its association with histological subtype. Women were recruited in four hospitals in Lyon, France. Histological reports were reviewed by a pathologist. Patient and family members’ data were collected by phone-based questionnaires. Asbestos exposure was defined as direct (occupational and environmental) and indirect (via parents, partners, and children). An industrial hygienist assessed the probability and level of exposure. The 254 enrolled patients (mean age 60 years) reported having an average of 2.3 different jobs (mean working duration 29 years). The prevalence of direct and indirect asbestos exposure was 13% (mean exposure duration 11 years) and 46%, respectively. High-grade serous carcinoma accounted for 73% of all OCs and 82% of histological subtypes in women with direct exposure. After adjustment on a familial history of OC, no significant associations between asbestos exposure (direct and/or indirect) and high-grade serous carcinoma were found. Women with OC had a high prevalence of asbestos exposure. Establishing risk profiles, as reported here, is important in facilitating compensation for asbestos-related OCs and for the surveillance of women at risk.