On October 17–18, 2025, a landmark event for the entire medical community took place in the capital of Kazakhstan — the 1st Congress of Pathologists with international participation. This event became a unique platform that brought together leading experts in domestic and international pathological anatomy, histology, and cytology.

Over the course of two productive days, the congress was filled with intensive work, lively discussions, and valuable exchanges of experience. The scientific program featured highly interesting and informative presentations that highlighted the most relevant issues in modern diagnostics — from the implementation of digital pathology and artificial intelligence to complex cases in oncomorphology, oncocytology, and new disease classifications.

It is worth noting that a separate session was organized specifically for cytologists, where current issues in cytological diagnostics, modern approaches to result interpretation, and new research methods were discussed. The specialized cytology program highlights the importance of their work as a key element in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of morphological diagnostics.

A special scientific and practical session was also held for histology laboratory technicians. By organizing this session, the Congress emphasized that the work of a laboratory technician is a crucial link that ensures the precision and validity of the final result. A well-prepared specimen is the foundation on which the pathomorphologist’s diagnosis is built — and therefore, it directly impacts the patient’s subsequent course of care.

Our Center for Morphological Research took an active part in the Congress. The delegation was represented by a multidisciplinary team led by the Head, M.A. Nursuleimenova, which included pathomorphologists, a cytopathologist, a senior laboratory technician, and a specialist.

M.A. Nursuleimenova, Zh.B. Eleubaeva, and S.S. Tolmachev presented three scientific reports that generated significant interest and received positive feedback from the audience. Their presentations focused on practical aspects and innovative approaches in the daily work of a morphological laboratory.

We are confident that the Congress made an invaluable contribution to the development of Kazakhstan’s pathology service and helped strengthen international collaboration among pathomorphologists.

From October 20 to 23, 2025, the annual Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) — the world’s largest scientific platform bringing together more than 3,000 specialists from various countries — will take place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

With the support of the St. Jude Global EURO Regional Program, a scholarship for in-person participation was awarded to Elena Vladimirovna Krivenko, Head of the Center for Pediatric Oncology at KazNIIOR, coordinator of the DEDICA project (Determinants of Late Diagnosis and Delayed Treatment of Cancer), and a member of SIOP. At the Congress, she will present a poster based on the project’s results and will also speak at one of the Learning Series sessions with a 15-minute presentation.

The DEDICA study was conducted with the support of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan using a tool developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the WHO Regional Office for Europe (EURO), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). As part of the project, 100 children in Kazakhstan with a confirmed cancer diagnosis and their parents were surveyed. This made it possible to study the personal and medical experiences of families facing the disease and to identify key factors influencing delays in diagnosis and the initiation of treatment.

St. Jude Global is an international initiative of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (USA) aimed at doubling the global survival rate of children with cancer by 2030. The program actively supports specialists with accepted abstracts from low- and middle-income countries, providing opportunities for international collaboration and knowledge exchange.