A national colorectal screening programme was rolled out yesterday, allowing those aged between 60 and 64 to self-test for symptoms of Malta’s second most common cancer.
Unfortunately, many don’t pay attention to symptoms
Approximately 1,300 men and women within this age range will receive invitation letters to join the screening programme every month. Those who accept will be mailed a self-testing kit.
People will be able to test themselves from the comfort of their own home by simply taking a stool sample using the enclosed sample bottle, sealing the kit and posting it in the self-addressed envelope provided. The test does not require any special dietary or medical preparation.
Malta joins 19 other EU member states which already have population-based colorectal screening programmes. It is the second medical screening programme in Malta, following the introduction of national breast screening in 2009.
Unlike breast screening programmes, colorectal tests also serve a preventive function, Health Minister Joe Cassar said yesterday.
“The test can also detect precancerous growths such as polyps, which means doctors can solve any problems before they develop further,” Dr Cassar said.
According to National Health Screening Programmes head Nadine Delicata, the 60 to 64 age range – the bare minimum recommended by EU screening guidelines – is likely to be widened once the programme is firmly established.
Dr Delicata said the system had cost approximately €1 million to set up. Many parts of the process have been automated, staff had been specially trained and reporting would be based on the IT platform specially designed for Malta’s breast screening programme, she added.
Medical experts are hoping for a 40 per cent response rate to the initial screening request, in line with EU averages from similar programmes overseas.
But those averages also indicate that only half of those who test positive are likely to respond to a request for further tests, despite them being between 12 and 40 times more likely to have colorectal cancer.
Approximately 100 people die locally every year due to colorectal cancer. Although Malta’s incidence rate is lower than that of many other EU countries, relatively more people succumb to the cancer than in many other European countries.
This was down to a number of factors, gastroenterologist Mario Vassallo said. “Unfortunately, many don’t pay attention to symptoms, such as blood in their stools, or attribute them to some past condition. We hope the screening programme will go some way towards addressing this,” he said.
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, after lung and breast cancer. Older men with diets high in fat, alcohol and red meat are especially susceptible. Smoking and a lack of physical activity further increase the odds of developing the cancer.