Bulgaria is joining a European consortium of national cancer centres. Speaking to BNR, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Assia Konsoulova stressed that this is the fruit of many years of effort, "because the Bulgarian patient deserves to be treated in both a cancer centre and a specialised cancer centre, which are established worldwide as two different levels of quality of care". NGOs are relied upon to network and take the initiative to involve stakeholders in cancer care.

Work on national cancer plans should be carried out with organisations across Europe. The aim of the Bulgarian Joint Cancer Network (BJCN) team is to have several European screening programmes, to establish at least one comprehensive cancer centre that meets all European requirements, and to map out 'pathways' for cancer patients to follow. At the moment, such care is lacking in our country and Bulgarian cancer patients choose to be treated abroad.