Local cancer research has the potential to make a significant contribution to global progress, but more public support and funding is needed to ensure that work continues, according to a leading researcher.
Addressing a conference at the President’s Palace yesterday marking World Cancer Day, Christian Scerri said several teams of local researchers were actively exploring different techniques in preventing, detecting and treating cancer more effectively.
Cancer is responsible for one of every four deaths in Malta. The incidence of many cancers continues to increase year on year, although the disease is also far more treatable than in the past.
Cancer is responsible for one of every four deaths in Malta
Prof. Scerri, head of the physiology and biochemistry department at the University of Malta, said researchers were currently tackling issues ranging from drugs targeting cancer cells more directly and with fewer side-effects, to methods to better activate the body’s own defence mechanisms.
A team led by Prof. Scerri and Godfrey Grech has also made progress in successfully identifying the most common subtypes of breast cancer, which will allow for more effective targeted therapies to be developed.
Prof. Scerri, however, said more public support was needed for often-neglected genetics research, which was vital for researchers to secure the necessary funding to continue their work.
Yesterday’s conference was organised by the National Cancer Platform, which brings together 13 local organisations active in the field.
Opening the conference, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said tackling social inequality and safeguarding the environment were key to addressing health issues including cancer.
“Poor health often emerges from poor social conditions, not lack of will to lead a healthy life,” she said. “We must urgently prioritise measures against poverty and inequality to ensure that our health system leaves nobody behind.”
The President also highlighted the health impacts of environmental issues such as air pollution and pesticides, calling for more research into the effects on public health and more natural means of food production.