It is the first solidarity half-marathon organized in Vallespir. More than a sporting challenge, this race, in tribute to Louisa Fargnoli-Salas, who died of ovarian cancer in April 2025, wants to raise awareness and raise funds for the Heredity Cancer association, dedicated to the fight against female gynecological cancers, too often overlooked.
Company
From daily life to major challenges, discover the subjects that make local society, such as justice, education, health and family.
France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the “Company” newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our Privacy Policy
Her name was Louisa Fargnoli-Salas. She was a girl, a wife, a mother, a brilliant, dynamic, joyful and generous woman. This May 6, 2025, she was to celebrate her birthday in Céret, surrounded by her family and friends. But the heart is not at the party. Louisa died on April 9, 2025 of ovarian cancer.
A premature departure that might have been avoided, according to her husband Laurent.
It is an immense injustice. Everything was fine in our life before this pu … illness. Medicine did what she could but if we had broken my feet to my wife as I broke my feet to go and make my colonoscopy for the control of the prostate, and well Louisa would perhaps be there. If only women were a little more ‘harassed’ to make screening, smear, samples. We do it for breast cancer, why don’t we do it for gynecological cancers?
Laurent Salas, husband of Louisa and organizer of the solidarity half-marathon
In the long fight he led alongside his wife, Laurent Salas is surprised that nothing is done on the national level in terms of prevention, past messages. “We are talking about breast cancer for women over 50, papillomavirus from the age of 11 but gynecological cancers for young mothers, we don’t talk about it and it’s dangerous and it’s a huge scourge.”
Louisa Fargnoli-Salas (left) with her husband Laurent and her daughters Marylou and Justine. • © Laurent Salas
The most frequent gynecological cancers are cancers of the uterine body also called endometrial cancer. Then come Cancers of the cervix, and the cancers of the ovary. With around 4400 new cases each year, Ovary cancers represent the fifth Cause of cancer in women, after breast cancers, lung cancers, colorectal cancers and endometrial cancers. Ovary cancer is the most serious gynecological cancer.
-“We discovered Louisa’s disease three years ago, she was already in stadium 4explains Laurent, her husband. We spent three years of fierce combat with 6 or 7 o’clock chemos. “
Gynecological cancers are still unknown. • © AP-HP
“Too often overlooked, often underestimated and insufficiently taken care of by the public authorities, these cancers affect 12 % of women with cancer in France. However, they destroy lives, upset families. These cancers require more accessible and effective means of screening”, According to the husband of Louisa who decided to continue the fight by organizing A half-marathon this Sunday, May 4, 2025 at Boulou.
A half-marathon organized on Sunday May 4, 2025 at 9:30 am at the Boulou to raise awareness of gynecological cancers. • © Middle of here
A racing step for an essential cause. Much more than just a sporting challenge, the average in hereis the first solidarity half-marathon organized in Vallespir. This event embodies a strong commitment which would like to raise awareness and raise funds for the Heredity Cancer association, dedicated to the fight against female gynecological cancers, which accompanied Louisa Fargnoli-Salas and his family throughout his painful fight.
With this half-marathon, I decided to pay tribute to my wife but also to all these women who have these diseases, to also warn all young women who must be paid to yourself, that you have to go see a gynecologist. Cancer can quickly happen and it can quickly change a life.
“A general practitioner is not trained in that”, he continues, “You absolutely have to go see a specialist. This is not easy, especially in rural areas where there is no gynecologist but midwives. This is the case in vallespir “. Today, Laurent Salas wants with his half-marathon to also be talked about about this recurring problem of medical deserts. “We must tell our public authorities to open medical centers with specialists, gynecologists. I have three daughters and I now know how imperative is.”
“From where Louisa is, I hope she will be proud of us.” It is therefore for his wife but also for all those whostill use, that will start this Sunday, May 4 at 9:30 am, more than 340 runners. The 21 km course will cross the cities of Boulou, Maureillas and Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts in a sporting atmosphere, filled with hope and festive.
While cervical cancers can be detected at a very early stage during smear, there is no simple examination which systematically carried out, make it possible to detect the cancers of the endometrium and the cancers of the ovary.
Certain particular signs such as the occurrence of abnormal bleeding (apart from the rules, in a menopausal woman), the presence of abdominal discomfort, pelvic pain and/or an increase in abdominal volume, may evoke gynecological cancer and must bring patients to consult their doctor.In a certain number of cases, gynecological cancers evolve at low noise, without a particular clinical sign and this fact, they are diagnosed at a late stage of the disease.
