site.btaLung Cancer Cases on the Rise in Bulgaria, Says Dr. Alexander Simidchiev at Launch of Prevention Campaign

The number of lung cancer cases in Bulgaria has been increasing in recent years due to several factors, Dr. Alexander Simidchiev told BTA. He is the public face of the Five Minutes of Health initiative, which focuses on preventing the disease and was launched today in Vratsa, Northwestern Bulgaria. The campaign is organized by the Digital Health and Innovation Cluster Bulgaria (DHI Cluster) with the support of the Ministry of Health, the Regional Health Inspectorate, among other partners.

According to Dr. Simidchiev, the rise in lung cancer cases is driven by three main factors: population ageing, smoking – which no one is taking serious measures to reduce, and improved diagnostic methods.

“When we rely on diagnosing the disease in a hospital or oncology centre, in nine out of ten cases we are already too late, and aggressive forms of treatment are required,” he explained. “With initiatives like Five Minutes of Health, our goal is to reach people before symptoms appear, thus sparing them unnecessary suffering and saving healthcare resources. Caught early, lung cancer can be cured surgically. Cured, not just treated,” he underscored.

He added that early diagnosis allows patients to live out a normal lifespan while reducing the need for costly drug treatments. “This initiative serves two goals: lowering medication expenses and improving the quality of life for those screened,” he said.

Simidchiev noted that the project aims to gather data from some 5,000 to 6,000 people in Bulgaria to assess risk factors nationwide. “Based on these results, we can propose an algorithm to the Ministry of Health with pre-costed steps to identify at-risk individuals. Some can have their risks managed without expensive tests, while others will need them. This way, when we go to the Minister, we can say: ‘Invest X amount now, and you will save four to five times that in treatment costs for late-stage disease.’”

Simidchiev pointed out that there has been no sharp rise in lung cancer cases after the COVID-19 pandemic. “In fact, in some respects incidence seems slightly lower, for a simple reason – due to poor pandemic management, many people died, mostly older individuals. This excess mortality, around 38,000 deaths during the pandemic, means our population now has slightly fewer people dying annually, because those with poorer health and weaker immunity died then. Mortality rates are now a bit lower due to this shift,” he explained.

Simidchiev stressed the critical role of the media in the fight against severe lung diseases, especially in raising public awareness about prevention and screening. “Prevention and early detection cost less but deliver greater results than paying for treatment later,” he concluded.