The figures are enough to boggle the mind. One in four Maltese people are affected by cancer in some way or another. In 2012, 27 % of deaths registered in Malta were caused by cancer – that was 487 males and 433 females.

In men, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer are the most common, and along with pancreatic cancer, are the biggest killers. In women, it is breast cancer, colorectal cancer and cancer of the uterus, and again, pancreatic cancer.

But there is some good news, Malta has one of the lowest cancer incidences in the world, with males placing 227th out of 236 countries and females, 196th out of 236 countries.

Those figures, however, will be of no consolation to those who are battling the diseases, and their loved ones who suffer every painful step with them.

Yesterday was World Cancer Day, and to mark the occasion, the government organised an activity in which the Health Minister and the PM’s wife, Mrs Muscat, pushed the need for people to take up screening programmes. Some forms of cancers are more treatable than others. Lung cancer, for example, can be fought off if people do not take up (or give up) the habit of smoking. It is a killer and there is no doubt. With women and men, breast and prostate cancer are largely treatable, provided that they are detected early. And hence the need to get screened. With breast cancer, it is perhaps easier because women can look out for any changes to the tissue of the breast. They can also avail themselves of the national screening programme. Prostate, for men, is different. There are no real symptoms and the only way to identify it is through getting checked. It is not the most pleasant of things, but it can save your life.

The government has pressed ahead with the colorectal cancer screening programme that was introduced by the past administration, and yesterday’s event was another effort to get the ‘at-risk’ age group to get themselves tested and screened.

At the end of the day, no matter how much preventive measures are taken, cancer will strike if it has you in its sights. Thankfully, we will have a state of the art Oncology Centre open within months, and the transfer from the dingy Boffa Hospital will begin. Treatment is of a very good standard in Malta, and even if it is beyond local capabilities, there are support mechanisms to send patients to other countries. The UK is one of them, but this government is currently doing its best to build up cooperation with Israel – a world leader in cancer treatment.

It is one of the cruellest diseases that afflicts us. Preventive measures, monitoring,  screening, early detection and treatment are the most important tools in the fight against cancer. If you are in an at risk age group, what are you waiting for? Go and get checked.