Patient care does not end with tumor control
“On World Cancer Day, it is important to remember that the quality and length of life after cancer depend not only on oncological success, but also on good cardiovascular health,” shares Prof. Natalia Chilingirova.
In recent years, the treatment of patients with oncological diagnoses has undergone significant changes. We are living in an era of innovation – a concept that accurately reflects the dynamics of oncology and the opportunities available to specialists to provide patients with innovative, precision-based therapies. The goal is clear: improving therapeutic outcomes and achieving a more effective fight against cancer.
The Oncology Center at Heart and Brain Hospitals meets to the greatest extent the criteria of a highly specialized comprehensive center, capable of providing complete patient care – from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up. The operation of a medical genetics unit offers patients state-of-the-art diagnostic possibilities, while the success of minimally invasive approaches in surgery, gynecology, and urology further enhances clinical outcomes. The high-tech hospital complex is also home to the only Gamma Knife in Bulgaria, as well as the most advanced radiotherapy center in the country.
Modern medical oncology also bases its success on highly specialized therapies, including immunotherapy and chemotherapy, with fast and timely patient access ensured at the Oncology Center of Heart and Brain.
In recent years, the treatment of oncology patients has achieved increasingly better results, allowing more people to live longer and with a better quality of life after diagnosis. Alongside this progress, however, new anticancer medications have introduced a new challenge – the preservation of cardiovascular health during and after treatment. Cardiotoxicity, or damage to the heart caused by anticancer therapy, is among the most common and clinically significant toxicities observed in oncology patients. It may manifest in various forms depending on the type of therapy applied, including heart failure, arterial hypertension, rhythm and conduction disorders, pulmonary hypertension, myocarditis, pericarditis, ischemic heart disease, and arterial and venous thrombosis. In addition to occurring during therapy, manifestations of cardiotoxicity may also appear later – sometimes even years after treatment has ended.
This is where one of the key innovations of the Oncology Center at Heart and Brain stands out – the first cardio-oncology unit in Bulgaria. The role of the cardio-oncologist is to assess the risk of cardiovascular damage before the initiation of anticancer therapy, to develop an individualized monitoring plan during and after treatment, and, when necessary, to initiate cardioprotective therapy. The aim is early detection of both clinical and subclinical cardiotoxicity – before the onset of symptoms – during therapy and in long-term follow-up. Modern medicine increasingly demonstrates that a multidisciplinary and personalized approach is the key to successful treatment. This not only improves treatment safety but also enhances long-term quality of life.
Since 2022, the high-tech hospital complex Heart and Brain has been developing close collaboration between oncologists and cardiologists. In 2025, the first cardio-oncology sector of its kind in Bulgaria was established within the Cardiology Clinic, led by Dr. Martina Samardzhieva. A team of six cardiologists now provides daily consultations and follow-up for dozens of oncology patients. On World Cancer Day, it is essential to remember that patient care does not end with tumor control, because the quality and duration of life after cancer depend not only on oncological success, but also on good cardiovascular health—achieved through teamwork among physicians from different specialties and the active involvement of the patient.
