Malta has one of the lowest incidences of cancer in Europe but things could get a whole lot worse, with cases set to rise at twice the European average by 2040, according to an EU report published on World Cancer Day.
The report, based on 2022 data, finds that Malta performed well across most metrics, with fewer cases of cancer (543) per 100,000 people than most European countries and the lowest cancer mortality rate (198 per 100,000 people) across the entire continent.
Maltese children under the age of 14 are the least likely to be diagnosed with cancer in Europe, at just under seven children out of every 100,000 compared to an average of almost 14 across the EU.
Although cancer reduces Malta’s life expectancy by 1.5 years, this is the second-lowest rate in Europe, only bettered by fellow Mediterranean island Cyprus.
Grim forecast
Nevertheless, cancer remains the second leading cause of mortality in Malta, with lung, colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancer the most common forms of fatal cancers.
Although cancer rates across most types of cancer (such as prostate, lung and breast) are lower than in most other EU countries for both men and women, there are exceptions.
Men in Malta are almost 50% more likely to experience non-Hodgkin lymphoma compared to those in the rest of Europe. Women’s chances of suffering from uterus or thyroid cancer are a third higher.
Things could get grim over the next 15 years, the report predicts, with Malta’s cancer rates set to increase by 44% by 2040, far outpacing the 18% increase in the rest of Europe.
Lose weight
Malta’s well-documented problems with obesity remain the country’s sticking point when it comes to cancer risk, the report says.
Almost two-thirds of adults reported being overweight or obese in 2022, with people with lower levels of education particularly prone to suffering from obesity.
Even the obesity rate among women with higher levels of education has increased since 2017
But even the obesity rate among women with higher levels of education has increased since 2017, the report notes, describing this as “a phenomenon that is not observed in the rest of the EU”.
Malta’s aversion to vegetable consumption may have something to do with this, the report suggests, with 56% of adults saying they eat vegetables less than once daily (far more than the 40% across Europe).But it’s not all bad news.
Smokers
Malta has among the fewest smokers in Europe and the rollout of the HPV vaccination, which began in 2013, has been overwhelmingly successful, especially among girls.
Also, Malta’s improving air quality, with a 30% drop in air pollution between 2010 and 2020, is believed to have had a positive effect on cancer rates, as well as those of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Malta has a relative bounty of nurses and, especially, doctors (28% higher than the EU average) to handle new cancer cases.
The report, flagged by Nationalist MEP Peter Agius, also finds that Malta scored highly when it comes to the quality of its cancer care.