Launch of breast screening service

The launch of the breast screening service at Lascaris is highly commendable because it fulfils one of the government's healthcare-related electoral promises.

As stated in the official opening speeches, the realisation of the project was the result of co-operation between a number of different agencies including the Department of Health, the Lands Department, and medical and IT specialists, among others.

One needs to add that the screening of some 14,000 women every year is not aimed at preventing breast cancer but at detecting such a cancer at an early stage. Screening cannot prevent the dreaded disease, just as X-ray screening of the chest did not prevent tuberculosis 70 years ago.

The objective is a significant reduction of mortality and morbidity of the cancer, and for this to happen the co-operation of women in the 50 to 60 age bracket is necessary. A compliance rate less than 66 per cent would invalidate the entire exercise.

The Lascaris Breast Screening Programme is a pilot project. It will be necessary to gather a substantial, critical mass of data that is properly processed before an accurate assessment of any improvement in outcome can be made, and this may take a few years.

Until then, a large number of women at risk can take comfort in knowing that a public health care service is in place that is capable of allaying their fears.