Alexis, 37, had cancer of the lymph glands as a child. For 25 years, he has been cured. But, he still suffers the consequences of the treatments. “Here are some of the drugs that are linked to the irreversible sequelae of the effects of cancer. And today I have diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure from these treatments. ”

So when he wanted to buy a house with his partner, he had enormous difficulty obtaining insurance for his loan. “I didn’t report cancers. But, by declaring these drugs, it’s easy for the doctors to understand that I was sick ”. Alexis was therefore only able to partially benefit from the right to be forgotten.

A right to be forgotten shortened to 5 years

Since 2015, a system has facilitated access to credit for certain cured patients. Emmanuel Constans, president of the AERAS convention (Insure and Borrow with an Aggravated Health Risk), explains: “After 10 years, we forget the cancer that has occurred and people can borrow without having to answer a health questionnaire and we are not allowed to ask them for information on this cancer which dates back of 10 years. For pediatric cancers, say before age 21, the timeframe is 5 years. ”

In Alexis’ case, the cured cancer has been forgotten, but not the consequences of the treatments. He eventually found insurance, but it cost him dearly. And above all, he has the feeling of a double sentence. “It did throw a chill all the same because the additional premium was multiplied by 2.5. I find that really exaggerated because we were sick. We didn’t ask anyone for anything. I find it really scandalous that insurance plays with the health of people who have been ill. ”

For a “social” healing

Even if progress has been made in recent years, building oneself after having childhood cancer remains an obstacle course. Associations, such as the League against Cancer, campaign for better support. Each year, 500,000 former patients try to secure their loans. The majority succeed, but sometimes at the cost of significant additional costs.