“Come on, we don’t give up! Never”… These few words accompany the photo of actress Emilie Dequenne, 42, on Instagram. We see the actress, César for best actress in a supporting role in 2021, smiling, with her head shaved. The talented artist is in complete remission from kidney cancer.

At the same age, the announcement of the cancer of the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, on March 22, shocked the whole world. Just as poignant, the news regularly given by the influencer Caroline Receveur, 36 years old, affected by aggressive breast cancer, or those of the BFM weather journalist, Virgilia Hess, 32 years old, suffering from breast cancer and pregnant, at the same time, with her first child.

A major phenomenon

The list of these young faces, affected by illness, is long, the endings not always happy. American singer Cat Janice died of sarcoma in February, journalist Clémentine Vergnaud, of bile duct cancer, in December 2023, both at the age of only 31.

The cases of these media people illustrate a widespread phenomenon. Between 1990 and 2023, the number of new cases of cancer doubled, with an increase of 98% in cancers in men and 104% in women, according to Public Health France.

“He changed my dreams”

According to the results of a large study published in the journal BMJ Oncology, the number of cancers per 100,000 inhabitants among those under 49 rose worldwide from 1.82 million in 1990 to 3.26 million in 2019, an increase of 79%. In 2019, more than a million people under the age of 50 died from cancer.

In the region, Charlotte El Moudden discovered she had breast cancer at 23, just before going on vacation, even though she was in great shape. “I felt a very hard lump in my right breast, like a stone”, tells the story of the one who is now cured and lives in Clapiers (34). About 15 days later, the young woman began chemo by catheter, had her head shaved, she who had hair down to her buttocks, for fear of losing her hair in handfuls, bought herself a blonde wig with bangs for that people “don’t see me as sick. I have never been sad, except at the thought of having to wait to have a baby”confides Charlotte, now mother of Esma, almost 2 years old.

“From the world of Care Bears to adult life”

“Cancer made me mature suddenly. I went from the world of Care Bears to adult life. I understood that we can leave overnight.” Ten years later, Charlotte is still afraid that the disease will return. Cancer changed her: “I’m enjoying life even more, I’ve traveled a lot, I take all my vacations. You never know what tomorrow will bring.”

Even younger, at 17, in the middle of his final year in Montpellier, Cyprien Mesulé discovered that he was suffering from osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, in his femur. “It was brutal. I was very sporty, I played a lot of rugby. I immediately stopped high school, I lost weight, my hair, my appetite… My life changed overnight. “

Having undergone knee surgery, Cyprien, now 24 years old, now wears a prosthesis, continued his studies successfully, despite recurrences, until joining a business school and doing an Erasmus in Germany. “It was difficult for me to gain perspective. The illness changed my dreams”confides the young man who does not want to forbid himself anything and continue to dream.

“Whatever the outcome”

At 42, the age of Kate Middleton, Guillaume Frasson-Groux learned that he had glioblastoma, a grade 4 brain cancer, after years of great fatigue. “We had never been able to put our finger on what I had. And then that evening in November 2023, in the shower, I felt that I was paralyzing on the left side, first in my arm then of the leg. I thought it was a stroke but the diagnosis came: a glioblastoma. Despite the severity, I felt relieved to finally know what I had.

“Surviving is more exhilarating than living”

Croupier in a casino, Guillaume, who lives alone in Saint-Jean-de-Vedas, has stopped working, continues to play sports, is undergoing treatment at the ICM. “I keep my spirits up. Life takes on a different flavor. I put a lot of things into perspective. Surviving is more exhilarating than living. My prognosis is not great, 15 months, even if I don’t take it literally”. In action, Guillaume confides “do your part of the job to have a clear conscience, whatever the outcome of the path”.

Our body never stops sending us messages. When it comes to pain, fever or bleeding, we have no doubt: these alert us to a problem. Stress and emotions also manifest themselves through physical symptoms. But there are visible signals (or identifiable by the other senses), strange ones, which we don’t know what to do with. We notice them by looking in the mirror, or sometimes it’s our loved ones who tell us about them. THE white of the eye who blushes, a strange-smelling urineof the brittle nailsA deposit on the tongueA cracking knee…How can we decipher these manifestations? “Our body is a fascinating human machine, our primary capital. Knowing it better allows us to detect anomalies,” says Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor at the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris and author of the book. Deyrolle. Anatomy lessons (ed. Albin Michel, 2023). We take stock – not exhaustive – of frequent signals. And if in doubt… we consult!

The eyes: very talkative messengers!

“The first impression comes from the look. Tired, with dark circles or bags, it can reflect poor shape, lack of sleep or stress” indicates Damien Gatinel, head of the ophthalmology department at the Rothschild Foundation hospital (Paris ). Carefully observing the eyes opens a window into our health.

A change in color of the white of the eye

THE white of the eye may turn red – sign of fatigue, allergy, drought… – or sometimes yellow, a symptom of jaundice. This then shows an excess of bilirubin, a pigment that the liver is no longer able to evacuate. Furthermore, if a red spot well-demarcated appears in the white of the eye, it is generally a benign hemorrhagea sign of a little shock.

A white ring in the eye

This lipid deposit forms an arc around the iris. Common among seniors – hence its name “gerontoxon” –, it does not affect vision but “can signal a high level of lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides) in the blood, especially if it occurs young,” points out the ophthalmologist.

Prominent globes

We talk aboutprotruding eyes (Or exophthalmos) when the globes seem to come out of the orbit and the white of the eye is seen above the iris. This symptom often marks the beginning of hyperthyroidism. A thyroid hormone test is carried out to check this.

THE pterygium : surfer’s disease

We thus call the pterygium, reddish membrane growing in the inner corner of the eye. This benign lesion is explained by an excess of sun and wind causing a dry eye.

Nails: notice of small hassles

As the matrix of the nail, with its nerves and vessels, is connected to the rest of the body, “diseases sometimes affect these appendages. chronic sinusitis may be associated with the syndrome of yellow nails (which thicken and no longer grow)”, explains Sophie Goettmann, dermatologist specializing in nail pathologies and author of Your nails, a whole world (ed. Actes Sud, 2020). But most often, the changes affecting these keratin plaques are benign. This is demonstrated by the following examples of signs spotted on the hands.

Longitudinal striations on the nail

They appear around 40-50 years old. Weakened, the nails break or split. “A normal development. However, in case of doubt, the doctor will be able to distinguish them from streaks linked to an illness (psoriasis, lichen).” Great fragility can also be due to iron deficiency, anorexia or an unbalanced vegan diet.

Nail peeling

“We think we’re doing the right thing by cleaning our nails, but using a file helps them peeling off.” The latter is sometimes caused by repeated contact with water, skin diseases (psoriasis) or microbial infections. The solution: cut your nails short and keep your hands dry.

A black line on the nail

Although it is generally a benign pigmentation, in rare cases it is the beginning of a melanoma. Go to the dermatologist.

White spots on the nail

No, it is not a lack of calcium, but a keratinization problem following small shocks on the matrix.

Urine: smell and scent, warning signs

The kidney filters the blood to extract waste and balance the body in water and electrolytes (sodium, chloride, etc.). It thus produces urine, a liquid containing nitrogen molecules (urea), mineral salts, etc. “Its color is a good indicator of body hydration,” notes emergency doctor Gérald Kierzek.

Dark-colored urine

You probably aren’t drinking enough water. In this case, the body evacuates less, it struggles to get rid of excess substances and functions less well. This can lead to a urinary infection. A light yellow color (due to urobilin, a pigment resulting from the breakdown of hemoglobin) is a sign of good hydration.

Fluorescent colored urine

This is surprising but is not abnormal if you take vitamin supplements, especially B2 (riboflavin) which is bright yellow in color. The body eliminates the surplus via urine, hence this curious color.

Urine with a strange smell

Have you eaten asparagus, cabbage or garlic? These foods can “perfume” the urine. The smell imparted by asparagus comes from sulfur compounds made by the body from asparagusic acid, a molecule in the vegetable. Please note: strong-smelling urine is sometimes a sign of dehydration orinfection.

The tongue: sticking it out is good for your health

If the doctor makes the tongue stick out, it is not for nothing: “It is the mirror of oral health,” reveals speech therapist Catherine Thibault, author of Language. The private life of a very discreet organ (ed. l’Archipel, 2024). A little glimpse of his quirks.

A white deposit on the tongue

A whitish mass of cellular debris, food remains and microbes may appear on its upper surface. “White tongue” is common in cases of dehydration, poor hygiene or infection by a fungus (candidiasis). In babies, it is often explained by a deposit of milk, but sometimes it is also candidiasis, called “Lily of the valley“.

Dips on the edges of the tongue

You have to stick out your tongue to notice on its sides, “a sort of crenellated or jagged border, sign of a scalloped tongue, describes the speech therapist. Having the mark of the teeth in this way is very common.” In question, the fact of clenching the jaws or even grinding the teeth, an involuntary phenomenon linked to stress. “Noticing these dips allows you to become aware of them and learn to release the pressure.”

A diamond mark on the tongue

If this red shape appears, don’t panic, it’s probably a infection without seriousness due to a fungus. But as with any lesion, you should not hesitate to consult if it persists.

A geographical language

Do red and white areas make the tongue look like a map? This condition with unknown causes is benign.

White hair: it often happens sooner than expected

At what age do we start to have white hair?

It varies greatly from one person to another. Environmental and hereditary factors come into play, including origins. Graying appears around 35 years of age in Caucasians and 45 years of age in the African population. Globally, it is considered that at the age of 50, 50% of humans have half-white hair.

Is white hair caused by stress?

Whitening is first of all a natural phenomenon with advancing age: the population of melanocytes decreases and plays its role less well. But a stressful period can also turn hair gray, according to recent work from Columbia University, published in 2021: the cells then stop synthesizing proteins necessary for the production of pigments. Good news, this process is reversible.

Can white hair be a sign of illness?

Yes, such as vitiligo, a benign depigmentation of the skin, hair and body hair – from which former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe suffers in particular. Another condition, diffuse alopecia areata, which is characterized by sudden loss of pigmented hair. Not white people. This could explain the legend according to which Marie-Antoinette’s hair turned white the night before her execution.

What if we pull out a white hair?

No, it won’t grow back lots of them, but just one, also white. Each hair resides within a cavity called a “hair follicle”, which can only contain one.

A crease on the top of the nose

Do you notice a horizontal fold in the skin above the tip of your interlocutor’s nose? He is probably prone to allergic rhinitis. This disease causes itching. By rubbing your nose a lot, a wrinkle forms. It’s the “salvation of the allergy sufferer”.

A crease on the ear

In some people, both lobes are crossed by a diagonal furrow. More frequent with age, these marks called “Frank’s sign” (named after their discoverer, in 1973) are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

A cracking knee

Do your knees “squeak”? Don’t worry, it’s not your bones rubbing against each other. In the joint, they are protected by a capsule filled with lubricant, the synovium. When you stretch, the pressure drops in this envelope and gas bubbles form. These burst when the bones come together and the pressure rises, hence these cracking noises. “And contrary to popular belief, cracking your fingers has no consequences,” adds Dr. Kierzek. No study proves that it promotes osteoarthritis. “On the other hand, it is better to consult if your bones start to crack after a trauma (fall, etc.).”

You may also be interested in:

⋙ Why does our voice change when we are sick?

⋙ Hematuria: this is why it is dangerous to have blood in the urine

⋙ Why do we pee red when we eat beets?