At 60, Joe Camilleri knew he was at risk of developing colorectal cancer, so when he received a kit to test for the high mortality disease, he did not think twice about it.
“When you turn 60, everything worries you. Now that I have been given the all-clear, I will have something less to worry about for the next two years, until it is time to repeat the test.
“And if there was something to worry about, I would at least have had the opportunity to do something about it,” Mr Camilleri told this newspaper at the National Screening Programme premises at Lascaris Wharf in Valletta.
Today marks the beginning of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Some 300 people are diagnosed annually with colorectal cancer in Malta and the disease claims the lives of 150 people each year, more than breast cancer.
If we detect colorectal cancer at an early stage then we can virtually eliminate it
It is the third most common cause of death from cancer and, while the survival rate of breast cancer is now 90 per cent, that of colorectal cancer is still 60 per cent.
Mr Camilleri is one of the people who were sent a testing kit by the screening unit, which every day sends 200 invitationss to people aged between 55 and 66.
So far, since 2012, 43,000 people have been invited and it is estimated that around half requested a testing kit. Over two years, 570 people tested positive for the disease. In all, nearly two-thirds of those who underwent a colonoscopy had polyps removed to prevent the development of colon cancer. To date, 40 cancers required surgery.
Those who do the test are either given the all-clear through a letter or, if they test positive, a nurse from the unit contacts them and they are referred for a colonoscopy at the Gozo General Hospital. Transport is provided for the colonoscopy in Gozo to help alleviate the burden on Mater Dei Hospital.
A reduction in mortality has been experienced by all countries that introduced what is known as faecal occult blood testing. In the UK, for instance, screening has been shown to reduce the risk of death from bowel cancer by a quarter.
In Malta it is still early to determine how effective screening is, since it was launched at the end of 2012.
“Now that the programme is established, however, we need to look at our country-specific factors, just as we are doing with breast cancer. We need to look at factors such as family history, gender and Maltese lifestyles, so the screening programme adapts to these needs,” head of Screening Services Joe Psaila noted.
Most cases of colorectal cancer develop slowly over a number of years from benign polyps which transform into malignant ones. Screening detects these polyps and they can be treated before they turn malignant.
“If we detect colorectal cancer at an early stage, or even at the polyp stage, then we can virtually eliminate it. This is why it is highly important that people accept the free test.
“The beauty of the test is that people can do it in the privacy of their home and it takes only a few minutes,” Mr Psaila said, noting that the unit was this year tripling its colorectal screening workload.
What are the symptoms?
• A persistent change in bowel habits, especially going to the toilet more often or diarrhoea for several weeks;
• Bleeding from the back passage without any obvious reason;
• Abdominal pain, especially if it is severe; and
• A lump in the abdomen.
*These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have bowel cancer, but if you have one or more of these symptoms for four to six weeks, go see your family doctor.