The Colon Tour passes through the Faculty of Pharmacy

[Press release] - Published on March 11, 2025 in Espace presse, Environmental issues and social responsibility

As part of Blue March, colorectal cancer awareness month, the University of Montpellier's Faculty of Pharmacy and the Association amicale des étudiants en pharmacie de Montpellier (AAEPM) are organizing an information and prevention day on March 27, 2025, open to the entire UM community. Supported by the Ligue contre le cancer (League against Cancer) and ANEPF (Association nationale des étudiants en pharmacie de France), the Colon Tour is stopping off in Montpellier to raise awareness among pharmacy students - future players in prevention and screening - as well as all university staff.

On March 27, the Ligue contre le cancer will set up a giant inflatable colon on the campus of the Faculty of Pharmacy to raise public awareness of the importance of screening. This preventive tool presents the interior of this little-known organ and the lesions that can occur (diverticula, polyps, pedicles, cancer) to better explain the nature of examinations such as colonoscopy and remove the obstacles and taboos associated with this screening.

A national event to inform future pharmacists

Since 2022, pharmacists have been able to distribute colorectal cancer screening kits to asymptomatic populations with no particular risk factors. To support this development, the Ligue contre le Cancer and ANEPF have launched a national partnership to inform students about these new issues.

In 2024, the Colon Tour visited 16 faculties of pharmacy, i.e. 70% of establishments, raising awareness among more than 1,600 people. Building on this success, the event is being repeated in 2025 to reach even more future healthcare professionals, but also to open up awareness to a wider public.

A major public health issue

With over 47,000 new cases in 2024 in France, colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer in men and third in women, as the Ligue contre le cancer reminds us in its latest shock campaign, "Va chier! However, if detected early, colorectal cancer can be cured in 9 out of 10 cases. Screening therefore plays an essential role, and pharmacists, as the first public health intermediaries, now have a key mission to fulfil.

By hosting the Colon Tour, the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Montpellier is fully committed to this approach to prevention and training for future healthcare professionals.

The day's program

The day will feature conferences, discussions with healthcare professionals and awareness-raising stands:

• 9:30 am: set-up of the giant colon and opening of partner organization stands.
• 11:30am: Opening remarks by Professor Dubois, President of the Ligue contre le cancer, and Dr Escande, Deputy Director of Campus Life at the Faculty of Pharmacy.
• All day until 4pm: presence of the Ligue contre le cancer, Agence Régionale de Santé, SMILE (accompanying patients through diagnosis), PENut'S (nutrition and cancer prevention), Centre Régional de Coordination du Dépistage des Cancers - Occitanie (cancer screening), CPAM, ROTARACT, CHU Montpellier - Service Immunologie, and an AAEPM stand selling crêpes.
• 12:00 pm: PENut'S conference on the role of nutrition in cancer prevention.
• 12:45pm: presentation on the role of the pharmacist in cancer care.
• 4:00 pm: end of the event and departure of the giant colon.