Prof. Nataliya Chilingirova: “Our Patients Are Heroes – We Help Them Cope Faster and More Easily”

,Heart and Brain’ is the first and, to date, the only oncology center in Bulgaria that is a member of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI).

During Cancer Awareness Month, one of Bulgaria’s leading oncology specialists and Head of the Comprehensive Oncology Center at Heart and Brain – Pleven, Prof. Natalia Chilingirova, speaks about the possibilities for modern and effective cancer treatment in Bulgaria. “Today, oncology itself is an innovation,” she says.

Humanity has lived with cancer for millennia. Alongside genetic predisposition, lifestyle, nutrition, and smoking remain among the most significant risk factors influencing whether cancer develops. According to recent data from the Ministry of Health, 303,450 people in Bulgaria are currently registered as living with cancer, with breast cancer being the most common diagnosis.

While screening has long been a proven and systematic approach in many European countries, in Bulgaria prevention programs are still largely campaign-based and episodic. Nevertheless, specialists will never stop emphasizing that prevention is crucial. The earlier cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat and the longer patients live. “Because a diagnosis is not a sentence. Our patients are heroes. They go through hell – each in their own way. As specialists, we can support them, guide them, and help them cope with this challenge faster and more easily. And as a society, we must not turn cancer into a stigma,” Prof. Chilingirova stresses.

At Heart and Brain, we utilize all the possibilities of modern medicine, with innovation embedded throughout the entire process. From diagnostics — where today we are able to detect diseases at a much earlier stage — to treatment, which includes numerous advanced and high-cost immunotherapies, targeted therapies, and personalized treatments that significantly improve patients’ quality of life.

Our radiation oncologists operate the only Gamma Knife system in the country, enabling highly precise and minimally invasive treatment of brain tumors without the need for open surgery. An increasing number of patients turn to us for this type of therapy. These innovative approaches can be applied alongside chemotherapy or independently, achieving significantly better outcomes.

Moreover, in cases such as breast or lung cancer diagnosed at an early stage, we can already speak of “chronic conditions,” as patients are able to live with the disease, continue working, and actively contribute to society. For other malignancies, such as sarcomas, progress continues within the field of clinical trials.

For nearly four years, the first cardio-oncology unit in Bulgaria has been operating at Heart and Brain, where a team of six cardiologists provides daily consultations and monitoring for all oncology patients. This is extremely important. In the past, treatment often had to be discontinued due to cardiovascular complications — today, this is no longer the case.

Heart and Brain is the first and, to date, the only oncology center in Bulgaria that is a member of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI). This membership enables our specialists to exchange expertise and data with leading oncology institutions across Europe and to discuss more complex cases with colleagues from some of the best hospitals on the continent.

“Membership is an honor for us, but also a great responsibility — both to our colleagues and to our patients,” Prof. Chilingirova emphasizes.

“It is a source of pride for our team that, at our Comprehensive Oncology Center in Pleven, we treat patients from across the country — from Sofia to Blagoevgrad and Kardzhali — and increasingly welcome patients from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Greece. These patients come to us based on first-hand recommendations from friends and acquaintances. They know they will receive expertise, compassion, hope, and comprehensive care throughout the challenging journey we undertake together in the fight against cancer.”