Cancer screening impresses experts

Two World Health Organisation cancer screening experts said they were impressed with the recently-enacted Breast Cancer Screening Programme during their visit to the centre yesterday.

The delegates from the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, responsible for the coordination of the European Cancer network, were invited to examine the centre’s progress. They were welcomed by Health Minister Joe Cassar at the breast cancer screening centre.

One of the delegates, Peter Dean said: “The centre is very nice and modern but what is really important to us is that the leaders understand precisely how to go about solving problems that have arisen and that will arise. What we have seen is most impressive.”

The programme seems to be headed in the right direction, he added.

The centre, which opened its doors only 10 months ago, has already identified 25 cases of cancer.

According to Nadine Delicata, head of the breast screening programme, the cases picked up were in their early stages, which meant treatment was less aggressive than what would have been needed if they were caught later.

The programme works on an invitation basis where women aged between 50 and 60 years are asked to attend. The system uses a national database and sends a request, depending on date of birth, to women to attend the centre.

The foreign guests also worked with the local team to intensify Malta’s collaboration in the developing accreditation of specialist breast units in the EU and in establishing a network to ensure high quality standards in cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment.

Malta’s programme is strongly based on EU Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis and the Recommendation of the European Council on Cancer.