BULGARIAN JOINT CANCER NETWORK (BJCN)

National Cancer Network in the Republic of Bulgaria. The abbreviation SONM is an old Bulgarian word meaning both a human multitude and a gathering of gods (pantheon).

The legal format of BJCN is a non-governmental non-profit association with activities for the public benefit. In social terms, it is an open cluster organization, functioning as an ecosystem of medical and non-medical societies with a wide range of multidisciplinary interdependencies in the field of oncology.

The main goals of BJCN are synergy in the expert functions of individual medical societies in Bulgaria dealing with fundamental and/or clinical oncology; optimizing cooperation between branch societies and the “triangle” of social knowledge (universities, industry, government); initiating and developing innovations for oncological care in Bulgaria, including screening and prevention, diagnosis and treatment, psychosocial support and quality of life and digitalization.

BJCN works through network synergy, differentiated into cluster sectors and respective coordination groups, adhering to three principles: (i) multiplication of cluster interactions, (ii) exchange of mutual benefits and (iii) positive external cluster effect.

STRUCTURE

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SCIENTIFIC PERIODICALS

Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Alexander Yulianov

Periodicals and book publishing BJCN-MORE

  • MORE Library: Oncological monographs by Bulgarian and foreign authors, dedicated to current problems of prevention, screening, diagnostics, TNM-staging and treatment of malignant diseases in adults and children
  • OncoSofia – official journal of BJCN in open access format

Програма (PDF)
Agenda (PDF)

FINANCE, MEDIATION AND ETHICAL CONTROL

Coordinator: Acad. Prof. Dr. Grigor Gorchev

In partnership with the law firm Murgova and partners, BJCN prepares, updates and publishes various documents on legal and ethical norms for a cluster organization.

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PEDIATRIC ONCOHEMATOLOGY

Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boryana Avramova

BJCN finances and publishes for the first time in Bulgaria a licensed translation of the Toronto Guidelines for Staging of Pediatric Malignancies

In collaboration with the Bulgarian Medical Society of Hematology (BMSH), the Bulgarian Medical Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (BMDDHO) and the Bulgarian Society of Pediatric Surgery (BDS) joint events are held under a training program on the topic: Pediatric Oncohematology
June 12, 2021: Morphology of blood cells
June 4, 2022: Diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia
November 25, 2023: Fundamentals of classification and staging of hematolymphoid and pediatric neoplasias
November 23, 2024: Diagnosis of acute myeloblastic leukemia

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS AND INNOVATIONS

Coordinator: M.Pharm. Ivaylo Petrov

Teleoncology
BJCN partners with the Bulgarian company Shemha Health in the development and testing of an innovative teleoncology platform PrOPA (Precision Oncology Patient Advice). The platform functions as a digital tumor board for personalized oncology care, uniting all diagnostic and therapeutic modalities within a single digital, integrated oncology center. ProPA is designed to optimize processes in oncology care by providing precise and evidence-based treatment recommendations, reducing the time for clinical decision-making and facilitating a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of cancer.

BJCN is in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on the implementation of the CanScreen-ECIS project, the aim of which is to improve the quality, monitoring and evaluation of cancer screening programs in Europe. The project supports data collection, capacity building and the adoption of evidence-based policies for effective and equitable early cancer detection.

BJCN participates in Work Package 4 (Sustainability) of the EU Project eCAN to strengthen eHealth for cancer patients.

Innovations

BJCN partners with the Bulgarian company Shemha Health in the development and testing of an innovative teleoncology platform PrOPA (Precision Oncology Patient Advice). The platform functions as a digital tumor board for personalized oncology care, uniting all diagnostic and therapeutic modalities within a single digital, integrated oncology center. ProPA is designed to optimize processes in oncology care by providing precise and evidence-based treatment recommendations, reducing clinical decision-making time and facilitating a multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment.

In 2022 in partnership with BGO Software, the innovation MORE e-Guidelines (MORE e-CME-O) has been developed and implemented – an original digital platform for creating and updating evidence-based oncology clinical guidelines.

Projects

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Coordinator: Acad. Prof. Dr. Draga Toncheva

Scientific Research
In partnership with the IT company Kelvin Health and the MORE-Darzalas Foundation, BJCN participated in organizing and conducting a prospective study TICSSO on the possibilities of thermographic imaging for early detection of breast cancer. The design is a product of collaboration between teams of oncology experts and Kelvin Health JSC.
TICSSO: A prospective observational study to compare the effectiveness of thermal imaging versus conventional breast cancer screening procedures (TICSSO)

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION IN ONCOLOGY AND HEMATOLOGY

Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Margarita Guenova

Continuing Medical Education in Oncology (BJCN CME-O) is a long-term program of BJCN, launched in 2022. It includes conducting educational events in oncology and oncohematology and publishing digital manuals, textbooks and monographs dedicated to malignant diseases

Training seminars
Videoconference modules for continuing medical education in oncology and hematology, thematically dedicated to the most current diagnostic and therapeutic problems in solid tumors and hematological neoplasias. They include lectures by leading experts from Bulgaria and abroad, training demonstrations and credit tests.

The seminars are organized and implemented with the expert participation of associations, members of the Bulgarian Society of Oncology: Women in Oncology Association, Bulgarian Association of Psycho-Oncology (BAPO), Bulgarian Group of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (BGBIP), Bulgarian Medical Association of Hematology (BMSH), Bulgarian Medical Society of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (BMDDOH) and Bulgarian Society of Pediatric Surgery (BDSHS).

For the first time in the history of Bulgarian clinical oncology and hematology, the training forums are accredited by the Accreditation Council of Oncology in Europe (ACOE) and the European Board for Accreditation in Hematology (EVAN).

Best of the World Forums
From 2025 BJCN presents licensed reviews of the most prestigious oncology forums in the world

BJCN-MORE Clinical Guidelines

  • Evidence-based guidelines. Created annually by national multidisciplinary expert boards and published in paper format since 2010. They include recommendations for clinical behavior in solid tumors of various localization in adults and children, for predictive biomarkers and for psychosocial support in oncology. The Oxford CEBM method was used for evidence analysis and recommendation formulation, and since 2020 – the GRADE approach.
  • Original educational digital product MORE e-CME-O: In 2022 in partnership with BGO Software, the innovation MORE e-Guidelines (MORE e-SME-O) has been developed and introduced – an original digital platform for creating and updating evidence-based oncology clinical guidelines.

Textbooks
Within the framework of the national oncology conferences BJCN-MORE, annual editions of the BJCN-MORE Textbook are published in printed and electronic versions. The textbooks contain scientific articles thematically dedicated to specific malignant diseases in adults and children and are intended for continuing medical education in oncology and hematology. The texts are in the style of literature reviews and are compiled by experts, authors of sections in evidence-based clinical guidelines.

MORE Library
The MORE Library includes oncology monographs by Bulgarian and foreign authors dedicated to current problems of prevention, screening, diagnosis, TNM-staging and treatment of malignant diseases in adults and children

PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT AND SUPPORTIVE CARE

Coordinator: Ekaterina Vitkova

Since March 2022, BJCN has joined the ECO-ASCO Special Network: Impact of the War in Ukraine in Cancer

The Bulgarian Association of Psycho-Oncology at BJCN in partnership with the National Patient Organization and Junior Achievement Bulgaria developed and implemented in 2022-2023 a project of the UICC Solidarity Fund for Ukraine: Mental health for Ukrainian patients with oncological diseases.

BJCN partners with OECI to participate in a pilot project to develop and validate a unified quality of life assessment system based on assessments and preferences of patients who have survived or are undergoing treatment for oncological diseases:
European Oncology Quality of Life (EUonQoL)

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PREVENTION

Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Milena Encheva

BJCN partners with Ino-Med in an international project: Personalized Cancer Primary Prevention Research through Citizen Participation and Digitally Enabled Social Innovation (4P-CAN)
Personalized Cancer Primary Prevention Research through Citizen Participation and Digitally Enabled Social Innovation (4P-CAN) 

BJCN partners with Ino-Med in an international project: Raising awareness and understanding of the importance of COVID-19 prevention in patients with underlying conditions from Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and North Macedonia – AWARE-РreCOV19
The AWARE-precov19: Raising awareness and understanding of the importance of COVID-19 prevention in patients with underlying conditions from Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and North Macedonia

BJCN partners with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) at the WHO in the CanScreen-ECIS project, which aims to improve the quality, monitoring and evaluation of cancer screening programs in Europe. The project supports data collection, capacity building and the adoption of evidence-based policies for effective and equitable early cancer detection.
CanScreen-ECIS

BJCN partners with the National Association of General Practitioners in Bulgaria (NSOPLB) to organize training webinars and a roundtable on the topic:
The General Practitioner in the Oncology Patient’s Journey

COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTERS AND NETWORKING

Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Assia Konsoulova

Comprehensive Oncology Centers

Since July 2022, BJCN has been an associate member of the Organization of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) – an international non-governmental organization authorized to accredit comprehensive oncology centers in Europe and the world. The official contact person is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Assia Konsoulova.

    • In the period from November 25 to 27, 2025, the first visit to Bulgaria (Deep Dive) was carried out under the accreditation program of the CCI4EU – WP4 project, related to providing support for the development of maturity in structuring centers for comprehensive oncology care.
      The visit was held at the University Hospital “St. Ivan Rilski”, Sofia and was coordinated on the Bulgarian side by Assoc. Prof. Asya Konsulova.

Network connectivity

Since February 4, 2024, BJCN is a full member and representative of Bulgaria in ALL.Can International – an international network of leading representatives of patient organizations, politicians, healthcare professionals, researchers and industry experts from all over the world. The main mission of ALL.Can International is to identify unmet needs in oncology care and, through research and interaction, to demonstrate best practices. The organization develops systemic solutions and policies to improve oncology care by focusing on what is of greatest importance to patients.

Since June 18, 2024, BJCN has been officially included as the representative of Bulgaria in the ECHoS initiative (Establishing Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies). ECHoS is a European project uniting over 60 leading organizations in the field of healthcare, research and innovation, academia and the non-governmental sector from 30 countries. Funded under the Horizon Europe programme, the project aims to support the implementation of the Mission to Fight Cancer activities in all Member States and Associated Countries, with a focus on the establishment and development of National Hubs. As part of ECHoS, the ONS takes responsibility for building a network for cooperation and dialogue aimed at the introduction and implementation of policies related to cancer prevention and treatment. The initiative aims to create sustainable synergies and interactions at national and international level, supporting innovative solutions and good practices in cancer care.

Since 27 November 2024, the ONS has been an associate member of the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) – a European federation uniting organisations involved in the field of oncology at European level. ECO focuses on facilitating cooperation to develop and coordinate policies aimed at improving the quality of care for patients with cancer. This is achieved through interprofessional and multidisciplinary interaction between medical and non-medical organisations, as well as experts from different public sectors.

CLINICAL GUIDELINES, PERIODICALS, CONFERENCES

Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Kalev

BJCN-MORE Expert Boards

Since 2010, National Expert Multidisciplinary Boards have been formed, which annually create national guidelines for clinical behavior in a specific localization of cancer. Members of the expert boards (EB) are leading specialists from all areas of Bulgarian clinical oncology and are determined depending on the localization of the oncological disease. The nominal composition of the EB is published in the relevant annual editions of the clinical guidelines and textbooks.

BJCN-MORE Clinical Guidelines

Guidelines based on evidence, created annually by national multidisciplinary expert boards since 2010. They include recommendations for clinical behavior in solid tumors of different localization in adults and children, for predictive biomarkers and for psychosocial support in oncology. The Oxford CEBM method was used to analyze evidence and formulate recommendations, and since 2020, the GRADE approach.

In 2022, the innovation MORE e-Guidelines was introduced – an original digital platform for creating and updating evidence-based oncology clinical guidelines.

Clinical Guidelines BJCN-MORE
MORE e-Guidelines

Annual Assembly / Conference BJCN-MORE

Annual national conference with multidisciplinary participation, held since 2010 with a thematic dedication to specific malignant diseases in adults and children. Includes plenary and discussion sessions and annual editions of the BJCN-MORE Textbook. Since 2021, the scientific program also includes discussion sessions dedicated to digital reconstructions in Bulgarian clinical oncology. Since 2022, the conference has been an official annual forum of BJCN.

Annual Conferences BJCN-MORE 2010-2024
Annual Conference BJCN-MORE 2025

Textbooks BJCN-MORE

Within the framework of the national oncology conferences BJCN-MORE, annual editions of the BJCN-MORE Textbook are published in printed and electronic versions. The textbooks contain scientific articles thematically dedicated to specific malignant diseases in adults and children and are intended for continuing medical education in oncology and hematology. The texts are in the style of literature reviews and are compiled by experts, authors of sections in evidence-based clinical guidelines.

Textbooks