NEW AWARD FOR THE ONCOLOGY CENTER AT MBAL „UNI HOSPITAL“

The oncology center of MBAL „Uni Hospital“ received new recognition for its high qualification and professional activity. The head of the Radiation Therapy Department at the Center, Dr. Zahari Zahariev, has been elected as the main coordinator of the Expert Council on „Radiation Therapy“ at the Ministry of Health. The oncology center, headed by Dr. Rositsa Krasteva, unites the departments of Medical Oncology, Radiation Therapy and Nuclear Medicine, which offer the most modern, scientifically proven and innovative medical care. Along with the implementation of the world standard in the field of oncology treatment, the Center develops scientific and research activities, thus maintaining and constantly increasing the competence of its specialists. The center applies the principles of personalized medicine and follows the bio-psycho-social model, which allows the provision of complex medical care and psychological support for patients and their relatives. The election of Dr. Zahariev as the main coordinator of the Expert Council on „Radiation Therapy“ is both proof of the Center’s successful activity and recognition of Dr. Zahariev’s professionalism, based on more than 25 years of experience. The Department of Radiotherapy at the Uni Hospital Oncology Center is one of the leaders in the country and the initiator of the annual National Radiosurgery Meetings, which are held in Panagyurishte and where the latest trends in the treatment of oncological diseases are presented and the leading specialists in the field gather.

The Expert Councils of the Ministry of Health include from 3 to 7 prominent specialists from the relevant medical specialties with proven professional experience and authority. Their applications are offered by scientific medical societies, medical institutions and medical universities. The members of the expert councils provide methodical assistance to medical facilities and control bodies in the health care system in the introduction, implementation and control of medical standards. Each expert council has a chief coordinator, for whom Dr. Zahariev was elected, who leads the work and is responsible for providing consultations and opinions. The radiotherapy department is equipped with the latest generation of equipment – two latest generation TrueBeam STX multimodal linear accelerators, one of which has an upgrade for radiosurgery (Edge attachment) and a Flexitron high-dose rate brachytherapy device. In 2021, the Radiotherapy Department became the only one in the country to have the Varian Calypso system for radiosurgery in early prostate cancer. The Varian Calypso System detects even the slightest movement of the prostate via three tiny magnets placed in the tumor and feeds real-time information to the linear accelerator (the machine that delivers the radiation). The accelerator adjusts the directed beams so that the tumor in the prostate is irradiated with extreme precision, while sparing and protecting healthy surrounding tissue.

The Calypso system is suitable for treating patients with early prostate cancer and is an alternative to surgical treatment. With the Varian Calypso System, the treatment time is significantly shortened and the patient undergoes only five treatment procedures, with no side effects of radiation. In the department, there are options for the therapy of malignant and non-tumor diseases through: individual radiation therapy, postoperative radiation therapy and/or combined chemo-radiation therapy. Patients with tumor diseases of the mammary gland, cervix and body (endometrium) of the uterus, pharynx, larynx and oral cavity, rectum and anus, lung, prostate and urogenital system, brain tumors, as well as palliative radiation therapy for bone metastases are treated or bleeding for analgesia and hemostasis.