Postgraduate Cancer Education and Training in Lithuania: Harmonization According to the EU Rules

The purpose of this article is to discuss Lithuanian postgraduate cancer education according to the data of 2013. In Lithuania, a specialization in an area called clinical oncology is absent; as independent specialities in oncology, there are both medical oncologists and radiation oncologists. These types of oncologists complete rigorous residency training in the clinics. Separate courses are provided in different residency programmes. Currently, there are two medical oncology and radiation oncology programmes for 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-year residents, one at the National Cancer Institute and another at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Kaunas Clinics. Today, there are only 45 radiation oncologists and 56 medical oncologists licensed in Lithuania. This means that each radiation oncologist and medical oncologist is providing for 397 and 319 new cancer cases per year, respectively, or there are 0.3 practising in the major specialties of oncology per 10,000 population. Most other medical residency programmes expose their trainees to oncology for only 1 month either in the 1st or the 2nd year of residency. Due to the growing number of new cancer cases worldwide, these programmes have to be extended, especially for family and internal medicine residents. Lithuanian postgraduate cancer education and training is in the process of harmonization according to the EU rules. All the Lithuanian residency programmes are certificated by an independent public agency and are recognized by a number of countries, including all the countries of the EU.