site.btaMore Than 16,000 Bulgarians Died of Cancer in 2022

More than 16,000 Bulgarians died of cancer in 2022, the Bulgarian Cancer Scientific Society (BCSS) said on Friday, quoting National Statistical Institute data. They were presented at the opening of the Bulgarian National Congress of Oncology with international participation in Sofia. The forum is organized annually by the scientific society.

The participants are discussing current approaches to lung, breast, gastrointestinal, urothelial, colorectal and prostate cancer and malignant melanoma, among others, as well as cancer control.

The BCSS President, Prof Assen Dudov, said at the opening of the congress: "Europe's Beating Cancer Plan is a testament to the collective commitment to reduce the burden of cancer and it is our responsibility to adopt and implement the various components of the plan in Bulgaria."

The plan encompasses prevention, early detection, treatment and improving the quality of life of cancer patients. To ensure the implementation of prevention strategies at the local level, efforts should focus on controlling various risk factors for cancer, which requires the expansion of vaccination programmes and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, Prof Dudov added.

In addition to investments in healthcare infrastructure, early cancer detection requires nationwide screening programmes for common cancers targeting at-risk populations, as well as raising public awareness of the importance of regular checkups and screening tests, Prof Dudov said.

According to the Global Oncology Trends 2023 report of the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, the global number of treated patients has increased annually by an average of 5% over the past five years, with further increases expected over the next five years as access to new medicines expands.