Bulgarian Oncology Doctor Raises Alarm over Lack of Cancer Screening

Bulgaria's Oncology Hospital does not have a cancer screening program. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgaria is the only country in the EU that does not have a screening program for cancer, the Director of the National Oncology Hospital, Zdravka Valerianova announced.

“The start of the project for screening program for prophylactic of cervical cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer has been delayed for more than a year,” Valerianova said, adding that in May 2009 Bulgaria has won a project for EU finding of BGN 20 M for the program.

She explained that 40 years ago oncology doctors in Bulgaria developed a screening program, called “Stop and have an examination”, for the most spread oncology diseases, but it is still not active.

“The project includes screening for breast cancer. Women between 40 and 49 years old should perform checks every other year. Everybody between 50 and 69 should undergo checks every third year. Women between 30 and 59 years should every year test themselves for cervical cancer. That does not mean that the rest of the sexually active people should not undergo annual checks,” Valerianova explained.

According to her, in the countries that have screening programs, the death cases due to breast cancer have dropped down by 30%.

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