I refer to the article written by Kenneth Zamit Tabona, entitled Bird Flu vs Cancer? published in The Times of January 10.

In his article Mr Zammit Tabona criticises the Ministry of Health, saying that it has not taken any action on the "inexorable" increase of cancer in Malta. While an analysis of time trends, conducted on incidence data from the National Cancer Registry between 1993 and 2003, has shown that there are statistically significant increasing trends, the increase cannot by any stretch of the imagination be described as "inexorable".

The main reason for this increase is the ever increasing age of the population. It is a well known fact that cancer diagnosis is strongly related to an increase in age. Two thirds of patients diagnosed with cancer from 1993 to 2003 were 60 years and older at the time of diagnosis. In all Western countries that are experiencing increasing life expectancy, cancer is expected to become a more likely cause of morbidity and mortality with time, as people will be dying less from other causes. Cancer in Malta currently accounts for 24 per cent of deaths and this compares favourably with the EU average for cancer mortality.

Mr Zammit Tabona seems to suggest that the extensive range of treatment for all types of cancer provided in Malta should be replaced by the relatively new drug Avastin. Without doing away with any of the merits of the role of the drug in the treatment of cancer of the bowel, it is far from the wonder drug that provides the answer for the treatment of all types of cancer.

The Ministry of Health is committed to continue its fight against the prevention and treatment of the disease.