Breast cancer is among the most frequent cancers in Malta with 350 new cases each year. Thanks to Maltese professionals survival rates are as high as 87%, said MEP Francis Zammit Dimech.

“We must fight this disease in every possible way and this is why after consultation with professionals, NGOs, patients and other stakeholders, I am putting forward further proposals,” he added.

The MEP spoke about the proposals which were presented to step up the fight against breast cancer and which also reflect the views of professionals and NGOs.

These include: more empowerment of patients so that they can ask for a multi-disciplinary treatment; Introduce prevention programmes in schools on consumption of good food and healthy living programmes through exercise from an early age; Investing more in the Breast Clinic to continue in its ambitious route of obtaining further certifications

Zammit Dimech stressed that according to professionals, the need to tackle obesity is crucial in the fight against cancer. He added that, therefore, these proposals also complement what professionals had proposed.

He also praised the work of professionals which, he said, explains why Malta has achieved better results than countries like France, Belgium, Denmark, Germany England and Italy when it comes to treatment of persons who experience breast cancer.

On the need for women to be exposed to less radiation, Zammit Dimech recalled how he worked at the European Parliament to update a directive ensuring lower exposure to substances causing cancer at the workplace, the place where people spend a lot time.

The MEP said that earlier this month, the European Parliament held a debate on cancer among women, and he had called for more awareness to improve the cancer screening acceptance rates among women called to participate in these programmes. Maltese NGOs also spoke to him on this matter during a meeting held last week.

During the same debate, Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health, spoke about breast screening, which in the case of Malta started in 2009.

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