Judicial Imbroglio around Colorectal Cancer Screening

A court decision casts doubt on the colorectal cancer screening program: the contract between the Sécu and a private provider was canceled by the Paris Administrative Court, but the Health Insurance disputes this decision and is committed Tuesday to "ensure the continuity of dispostif".

Organized screening for colorectal cancer, free of charge, is aimed since 2009 at the age of 50 to 74, invited to perform a painless test at home, in particular to identify polyps (small lesions) and remove them before they do not develop into cancer.

In this context, Sickness Insurance manages a market for the supply of test kits and test solution for their samples, which was the subject of a renewal procedure last year.

But the judge of the Paris Administrative Court, seized by three groups of private companies whose offers were rejected, decided Monday to cancel the procurement procedure, announced the Health Insurance in a statement.

According to the decision, which AFP obtained a copy, the call for tenders launched in June was won by the laboratory Cerba, already holder of the previous market. Health Insurance is invited to "resume the award procedure by complying with its publicity and competition requirements".

In addition to "an appeal to the Council of State", the Health Insurance plans to "immediately revive a new procedure of market" which should end in "a delay of approximately 9 months".

"In the meantime," she "will make the necessary arrangements to ensure the continuity of the device, whether it is kits orders and their reading".

Because the interruption of the screening program would represent "a risk for public health", colorectal cancer being the third most common cancer, with 45,000 cases estimated per year, and the second most deadly with nearly 18,000 deaths.

According to Santé Publique France, between 2017 and 2018, 5.5 million people aged between 50 and 74 years were screened, a participation rate of 32.1%, a result much lower than the European target. minimum acceptable of 45% ". The test diagnosed cancer risk for 4% of them.

Contacted by AFP, the Health Insurance badured have "still a large stock of test kits", a million having been ordered end 2018, "which covers the needs over a period of 6 months".

This will ensure "supply of health professionals (…) in the coming weeks," while "the current market provides for the continuation of reading tests until June 15".

Until the "notification of the new market", a "exceptional and emergency contractual solution" will allow "the reopening of the orders and the continuity of the reading of the kits".

Last year, she had already worried about a judicial decision breaking the previous market in force, subsequently reinstated by the Council of State.