Professor Kurtev founded Bulgaria's colon cancer screening program, and he basically said people will show up for testing when they get clear info about what it does and why it matters. The problem is the government has not committed resources or political will to make screening happen at scale, which means there is more reason to worry than to feel optimistic about where things are headed. He wants the occult blood test added to standard preventive care for people between 50 and 74 because early detection saves lives and costs way less than treating advanced cancer.
Bulgarians tend to assume they are fine if nothing hurts, but that mindset gets people killed because colon cancer symptoms barely show up until the disease reaches late stages. Fear of getting diagnosed stops people from getting screened, even though treatment works when you catch it early. Kurtev thinks the country needs better education campaigns, mandatory funded screening programs, and updated regulations so general practitioners can actually do their jobs on the front lines of prevention.
Bulgarians tend to assume they are fine if nothing hurts, but that mindset gets people killed because colon cancer symptoms barely show up until the disease reaches late stages. Fear of getting diagnosed stops people from getting screened, even though treatment works when you catch it early. Kurtev thinks the country needs better education campaigns, mandatory funded screening programs, and updated regulations so general practitioners can actually do their jobs on the front lines of prevention.
