death rates from ischaemic heart disease in malta remain above the eu average but have shown a relatively consistent downward trend more than a quarter of all deaths from ischaemic heart disease were premature occurring in people aged under these are potentially preventable through appropriate action within the health care system and wider policies affecting population health see section further remarkable improvements in survival have been demonstrated for malignant melanoma testicular thyroid and prostate cancers however outcomes have remained unchanged for some cancers such as those of the pancreas stomach and brain and specific types of acute leukaemias in adults deaths from lung cancer have also remained fairly stable and are among the lowest in the eu