site.btaRuse Hosts International Oncology Forum to Share Best Practices

The Complex Oncological Centre - Ruse is hosting an international medical forum as part of the European initiative INTERACT EUROPE 100, which aims to introduce interdisciplinary training in oncology. The event brings together healthcare professionals from across Europe to share experience and strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration in cancer care, said COC-Ruse Director Dr Kamen Kozhuharov. He opened the two-day forum alongside Ruse Deputy Mayor Dimitar Nedev.

Dr Kozhuharov highlighted the forum's role in fostering knowledge exchange, noting that it allows oncologists to learn from one another so that "European patients are treated as such, not just within the limits of their national system".

Talking about patient-centred care, he said that COC-Ruse strives to maintain modern oncology standards through the introduction of new medicines and technologies, ensuring patients feel included and respected within society.

Deputy Mayor Dimitar Nedev underlined the importance of collaboration, noting that cancer remains one of the world's greatest health challenges, and that knowledge sharing and multidisciplinary coordination lead to more effective treatment and improved patient care.

Healthcare professionals from Ukraine participated in the forum, sharing the challenges their teams and patients have faced since the start of the war.

Dr Vasyl Skrypnyk, an oncologist at the Central City Clinical Hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk, told BTA that attacks on energy systems, as well as the migration of patients and medical staff, are the main difficulties they encounter daily. He described obstacles in providing treatment, limited resources and cases where patients have had to transfer care to hospitals in other countries. The hardest-hit areas are hospitals in Eastern Ukraine near the front line.

“Even some hospitals with modern equipment face power outages caused by attacks on our energy system, including drone and missile strikes, while treating patients. This is particularly true in the eastern part of Ukraine near the front line and creates serious difficulties for both patients and medical teams," Skrypnyk told BTA.

The Ruse meeting is the final of three regional events, following Barcelona and Dublin, and marks a key step in building a stronger European network for oncology collaboration. INTERACT EUROPE 100 aims to set new standards in teamwork and oncology training, encouraging closer cooperation among medical specialties to benefit patients.