France, Oct. 27 -- Every October, pink ribbons return to lapels and shops and monuments are decked out in the colour, as Octobre Rose encourages screening for breast cancer and raises money for research.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in France, according to figures from Sante Publique France, the country's public health body.

The French National Cancer Institute recorded 12,765 breast cancer deaths and 61,214 new cases in 2023.

"For me, as for many patients, [October] is actually quite a hard month to get through," Lenaig, 38, told RFI.

She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, a few months after her mother died of the disease. She is currently in treatm...