The national breast-screening campaign will soon be launched for around 30,000 Maltese and Gozitan women aged between 50 and 60, Health Minister Louis Deguara said yesterday.

Addressing a news conference, Dr Deguara said the project coordinator of the breast cancer-screening programme is Dr Nadine Delicata.

The screening programme is high on the government’s agenda and, at first, will target women aged between 50 and 60 – the age group which statistically is at the highest risk of breast cancer.

“Screening this age group is of great benefit, and will help reduce the rate of breast cancer – especially if it is caught in the early stages,” he said.

There are around 30,000 women in this age bracket, and breast screening usually takes place once every three years which means that the programme will see around 10,000 women a year, said Dr Deguara.

On average, around 200 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year – one third of the women involved are aged between 50 and 60, he said.

The minster explained that eventually the programme will be extended to all age groups.

Dr Deguara said that the screening programme will not be based and offered at Mater Dei, but will be based temporarily at St Luke’s Hospital.

“In the meantime we are looking for an alternative location such as Birkirkara, to set up the screening programme – a location that is accessible to everyone,” he said.

St Luke’s Hospital still offers physiotherapy and occupational therapy and is being used for social cases.

Furthermore, said Dr Deguara, parking facilities at the old hospital are now available to everyone.

The mammogram machine at Mater Dei will be used for follow-ups, he added.

Dr Deguara said the Health Department would soon issue a call for applications for medical lab technicians, histopathologists and radiologists.

“We need the human resources to set up this service – there has been interest from abroad to offer this service,” he said.

Dr Deguara said that Maltese surgeon Gordon Caruana Dingli was appointed general surgeon, with a special interest in breast treatment.

Dr Delicata said that before the screening programme is launched, a brief, but intense information campaign will be launched.

“If the women are not informed, then they will not go for the screening – even if it is free,” she said.