Watch the forum (only in Bulgarian)
European Cancer Patients Coalition (ECPC), Association of Cancer Patients (APOZ) and Association of Medical Students in Bulgaria – Sofia (AMSB), with the support of Association of the Research-based Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Bulgaria (ARPharM), organize a PUBLIC FORUM with the special participation of national and international experts, dedicated to the National Beating Cancer Plan, on November 24th, 2023, at the Hyatt Residence Sofia.
Focus and highlights
On the 4 th of January 2023, The Council of Ministers adopted a National Beating Cancer Plan (NBCP), which sets specific goals for the development of an integrated, complex, and accessible cancer care system, within which all activities for prevention, screening, innovative diagnosis, treatment, and care to be provided, with the aim of improving the survival and quality of life for cancer patients.
In order to achieve the set objectives, the NBCP intends to implement specific programs and activities, outlines a timeframe, and sets key performance indicators.
So far, there have been no activities to implement the policies and programs laid down in the NBCP.
Malignant diseases in Bulgaria are too often diagnosed too late which is a leading cause for high mortality and high societal burden. A priority in the NBCP is to introduce screening programs for the prevention and early detection of cancer to ensure timely effective treatment and saving human lives.
The basis of effective innovative treatment of oncological diseases is precision diagnostics, which allows to application of an individual approach and effective treatment for each patient. Ensuring precision diagnosis of cancer is another priority of the NBCP.
Cancer prevention, treatment, and control policy should be based on reliable, well-organized, confidential, and anonymized patient health information.
The development of a complete and up-to-date database on oncological diseases in Bulgaria within the National Health Information System is a priority of the NBCP. The oncology database will ensure better management of cancer care and will enable medical specialists in the field of oncology to find the most effective therapeutic approaches to fight the disease and its consequences.
Presentations
PANEL SESSION 1: OPPORTUNITIES AND BENEFITS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SCREENING PROGRAMS
European recommendations on screening (English)
Prof. Francesco De Lorenzo, President of the European Cancer Patients Coalition (ECPC)
Opportunities and benefits of the implementation of screening programs in Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
Dr. Slaveyko Djambazov, PhD., Founder and managing partner of HTA.Ltd
Good screening practices for early detection of breast cancer in the United Kingdom (English)
Hemmel Amrania PhD., Clinical Scientist Breast Oncology and research fellow at Imperial College London
PANEL SESSION 2: PRECISION DIAGNOSTICS – MANDATORY REQUIREMENT FOR THE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES
What is precision diagnostics? Possibilities and benefits for patients from improving access to precision diagnostics in Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
Prof. Dr. Radka Kaneva, MD, Executive Manager of the Molecular Medicine Centre, MU-Sofia
The experience of the Republic of Romania in introducing precision cancer diagnostics (English)
Dr. Marius Geanta, MD, President of the Center for Innovation in Medicine, Romania
PANEL SESSION 3: CANCER DATABASE WITHIN THE NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM – AN INSTRUMENT FOR EFFECTIVE POLICIES
European experience in data management for cancer policy-making (Bulgarian)
Mira Ganova PHD, CEO, DHI Cluster Bulgaria
The capabilities of the National Health Information System for building and using a cancer database
Boris Kostadinov, Director of the “Software Integration” Department at Information Services JSC
SUMMARY AND FOLLOW-UP
Mission on Cancer and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan: impact on the EU MSs (English)
Prof. Francesco De Lorenzo, President of the European Cancer Patients Coalition (ECPC)
Economic effect of the implementation of the programs and policies laid out in the National Beating Cancer Plan (Bulgarian)
Arkadi Sharkov, Advisor to the Minister of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Doctors of Tomorrow for the National Beating Cancer Plan – Engaged and Reliable! (Bulgarian)
Lidiya Delcheva, President of the Association of Medical Students in Bulgaria – Sofia
Participants
Speakers
Panelists
Moderators
Photos from the forum
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