Search Results (2)

Background: Bulgaria carries a high burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) but, at the start of this study, lacked a nationwide organized screening program. Understanding specialist views (particularly on mail-based fecal testing) is essential for effective policy development. Objective: The objective is to assess the attitudes towards, practices of, and perceived barriers to CRC screening among Bulgarian gastroenterologists, with a focus on the feasibility of mail-based fecal occult blood testing (FOBT). Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 38 gastroenterologists examined clinical use of FOBT, screening method preferences, and perceived systemic and patient-level barriers to CRC screening. Results: Among respondents, 57.89% reported using FOBT in clinical practice, and 71.05% indicated they would undergo the test themselves and recommend it to relatives. Colonoscopy was the preferred diagnostic tool for 84.21% of participants; however, the existing literature raises concerns about its feasibility for large-scale population screening. Key systemic barriers, rated on a 5-point Likert scale, included financial constraints (mean = 3.08), inadequate infrastructure (2.89), and healthcare workforce shortages (2.71). Patient-level barriers were led by low health literacy (4.13), lack of motivation (3.95), and procedural fears (3.26). A majority (84.38%) believed that mail-based FOBT would increase screening uptake, and 57.89% supported annual distribution of test kits. Nearly all respondents (97.37%) favored initiating screening at age 50. Conclusions: This study highlights strong support among Bulgarian gastroenterologists for a national CRC screening program, with particular endorsement of mail-based FOBT. Despite acknowledged systemic and population-level barriers, the findings suggest that such an approach could increase screening coverage, promote early detection, and support the strategic rollout of Bulgaria’s emerging cancer control initiatives. Full article

Here we describe the synthesis of N-(6-chloro-3-nitropyridin-2-yl)5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)isoquinolin-3-amine via a three-step procedure including a Buchwald–Hartwig arylamination with benzophenone imine and a highly regioselective nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The title compound was analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, HSQC, HMBC, COSY, DEPT90 and NOESY), high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-HRMS) and infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) and its structure was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The inhibitory potency of the title compound was evaluated for selected kinases harboring a rare cysteine in the hinge region (MPS1, MAPKAPK2 and p70S6Kβ/S6K2). Full article