Foundation established to focus on cancer research, treatment in Malta

The establishment of the Cancer Research and Innovation Foundation, an initiative with a focus on improving the state of cancer research and cancer treatment in the Maltese islands by bringing together the premier researchers in one hub, was announced Friday by Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation Keith Azzopardi Tanti.

Addressing the media in Valletta, Azzopardi Tanti said he believes politics are the best means for improving people’s quality of life. 

For the government, it is important that strategies and recommendations are not just ink on paper, but that they are actually implemented, he added. These measures and initiatives will lead to tangible and significant improvements in the treatment of patients.

The Parliamentary Secretary said that the battle against cancer is one which requires a meticulous and precise approach, where every detail matters and each resource must be properly allocated. He continued that it has been personal experiences, with family members and friends who have been diagnosed with cancer, which have pushed him to work on initiatives such as this.

“This project has to happen, there is a need for it to happen,” he remarked. Azzopardi Tanti added that this project is ambitious, and that those involved are aiming for excellence. He said that this will be the initiative on which the foundation for building on the local capabilities by integrating and collaborating with the international research community. “Whilst this foundation is independent and autonomous, this initiative is witness to that which we can achieve together through cooperation and collaboration.”

He said that as this moves forward, this foundation will also become involved with the education sector, and that an additional aim of the foundation is to spread knowledge regarding cancer and cancer treatment.

Azzopardi Tanti concluded by saying that this initiative is an example of the promise for a stronger future, which symbolises the collective commitment to not only confront cancer, but defeat it.

The Chairman of the Foundation, Dr Christian Scerri, said that he was profoundly happy to be able to say that this cancer research foundation was being established in Malta. He said that this development formed part of the plan for research and innovation of the European Union, including the cancer mission hub as well as Malta’s national plan regarding cancer.

Scerri said that this initiative is going to lead to a collective mission to focus on the treatment of this condition with global significance. He continued that cancer research in Malta is not a new development, but that this hub will bring all researchers together to collaborate more effectively and ultimately have a greater impact.

He said that nowadays, 69% of cancer cases are survivors, and that the foundation’s holistic approach not only focuses on assisting people before and during treatment, but afterwards as well with a focus on psychological and social assistance. He added that this approach is built upon person centred care.

The Chairman of the Foundation concluded by saying that this has been a dream for some time, and that it is an ambitious project aimed at advancing our understanding and developing more effective treatments with the ultimate goal of improving people’s lives.

Angele Cuschieri, the President of Puttinu Cares, said that one of the most difficult challenges faced by patients is when they need a particular treatment which is not offered in Malta, which would mean that the patient may have to travel abroad to get their treatment. She said that between sixty and ninety patients each month have to travel abroad to England for treatment. She continued that this initiative has the potential to help these patients.

Maria Bugeja, Director at St James Hospital, said that the process of bringing together all the experts in Malta around one table results in the creation of a center of excellence.

Isaac Zahra, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Malta who had been diagnosed with leukemia and made a recovery, said that as a means of spreading awareness, the government could organise initiatives and events similar to what is done for World Diabetes Day.

Jessica Debattista, a PhD researcher, said that with some conditions, making as much of an effective use of time as possible is important, so bringing professionals together is positive for the patient so that the best decisions are made and each patient is given personalised treatment.