HeCaPrev: The Final conference summed up the results of Latvia and Russia cross-border cooperation project in Pskov, Russia

On 26 June in Pskov Regional Oncological Dispensary (Russia) the Final conference of cross-border cooperation project “Development of Hereditary Cancer Prevention Measures in Pskov Region” (HeCaPrev) took place.

The conference was attended by the project partners from Riga Stradins University (RSU) and Pskov Regional Oncological Dispensary (POD), representatives of Pskov Region Administration and specialists of the other medical institutions of Pskov and Pskov Region.

During the scientific part of the conference the participants were introduced with the actual topics of cancer treatment and prevention such as conserving surgery, use of molecular genetic methods in the diagnostics of hereditary syndrome, current state of play in familial cancer diagnosis and treatment in Russia reported by Dr. Arvīds Irmejs and Miki Nakazawa-Miklasevica, RSU and Sergey Kolesnikov, POD.
Results of the analyses conducted within the project “HeCaPrev” were given by Dr. Arvīds Irmejs, RSU and Daria Artemieva, POD.
General results achieved during the implementation of the project were introduced by Armands Rabovics, Project manager. In a general discussion after the presentations perspectives of further cooperation in the sphere of cancer treatment and prevention were discussed.

The project worked to ensure information and experience exchange about hereditary cancer (HC) preventive measures and management, to raise awareness on HC as manageable and curable disease among wider society of medics and general population of Pskov region, to identify high HC risk individuals through screening pilot projects and molecular investigations in Latvia and Russia and to develop HC prevention and management base in Pskov region by establishing Pskov hereditary cancer centre within POD and beginning of HC consultation and management activities in this newly established facility.

Now new methods for HC management, having been practiced to a high level in Latvia, are introduced in Russia. Through this project, the researchers from Latvia - Hereditary Cancer Institute of RSU transferred a broad spectrum of knowledge on HC to colleagues in Pskov Oncological Dispensary. The knowledge will be used long after this project to ensure the most up-to-date HC management in Pskov Region.