Common approaches to enhanced early diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer in the population of partner areas

Thyroid cancer records a significant increase in new cases diagnosed worldwide. The incidence varies with geographical region, the programme area being recognized as endemic for both benign and malignant thyroid pathology. The common challenge of this project is that the low level of medical education of the joint area population, as well as the common habits and socio-economic structures, imply in most cases a late diagnosis of thyroid cancer, along with a poor prognosis, requiring sustained efforts and increased healthcare costs. The early diagnosis and treatment of this pathology would increase quality of life and patient survival, as well as decrease medical expenditure and maintain a socially apt and economically active individual. The overall objective of the project is to offer residents an enhanced preventive care service through the primary medicine segment. The main expected outputs of this project will be: a cross-border platform for the early diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer; modernization of health care centers; improved quality of primary healthcare and increased access to specialized medical services; raised awareness of general population regarding thyroid pathology; furthering of current medical knowledge by dissemination of the project results. This project will benefit not only the target groups, but also all medical professionals dealing with this pathology and the population of the EU community. The approach of this project is based on a three level system. The first level involves the general practitioners that will select from the general population only those patients that present known risk factors for the development of thyroid cancer. Subsequently, general practitioners will evaluate this group through cervical ultrasound and based on a novel scoring system, will assess the need for a specialized consult. The second level is represented by endocrinologists who will decide the patients’ risk of thyroid cancer and whether they should be monitored or treated. The third level comprises of surgeons that will offer surgical therapy in selected cases, allowing for a definitive diagnosis through histopathological analysis. Although the populations of the project area share a similar background and risk factors, the medical systems differ significantly. A cross-border approach would reduce potential bias and validate the proposed method of early diagnosis of thyroid cancer. A joint effort would increase the quality of medical services, as well as enable the sharing of knowledge and experience. Although the general practitioner is the first to come in contact with a patient, the medical systems of the partner areas do not encourage a complete primary diagnosis at this moment. The novelty lies in that our project furthers and supports the role of the general practitioner in the early diagnosis and patient management, allowing for specialized secondary diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer. Information added on 2020-05-12, regarding the mitigation of the effects of COVID-19 (the corona virus pandemic that started in 2019) (English language only): The overall objective of the project is to offer residents an enhanced preventive care service through the primary medicine segment. The main expected outputs of this project will be: a cross-border platform for the early diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer; modernization of health care centers; improved quality of primary healthcare and increased access to specialized medical services; raised awareness of general population regarding thyroid pathology.

This project, through its’ joint approach will increase the access of individuals from the cross-border area to improved healthcare services both at the level of primary and secondary medical facilities. This project provides an investment in the health of the general population by offering an efficient diagnosis method for thyroid cancer and enhancing the current education level regarding this pathology. This raised awareness will apply also to medical professionals (comprising of, but not limited to, general practitioners, endocrinologists and surgeons) due to the implementation of training activities in the proper clinical an imagistic (ultrasound and elastography) assessment of thyroid lesions. This project will also provide a new smart software for the calculation of thyroid cancer risk based on clinical and ultrasound characteristics. The diagnosis protocol resulting from this project will be easily applicable to the heathcare systems of other countries of the EU community.