A conference-cum-workshop on advancements in onco-pathology was held in the city recently.

One of the organisers of the two-day event said tumour samples from most hospitals in the city have to be sent to Delhi, Bangalore, or another city for analysis to diagnose the nature of the tumour, which delays the turnaround time and the start of treatment.

The analysis results can take three weeks or even more to arrive.

The conference-cum-workshop was held to train pathologists in Calcutta in the advanced techniques so tumour samples can be analysed in the city, said Devmalya Banerjee, the treasurer and a member of the executive committee of the Association of Bone and Soft Tissue Pathologists.

“The workshop was organised to train young residents and consultants in advanced techniques. About 150 consultants from Calcutta and neighbouring places, and
Odisha and other states attended the event,” said Banerjee, lead onco-pathologist (eastern region) at NH Cancer Centre.

Cancer treatment has advanced but timely tumour diagnosis is important for better treatment.

“Every tumour has its genomic signature. Most hospitals in Calcutta conduct routine histopathology.
But it is also necessary to identify the exact nature and type of the tumour from the tumour group for personalised cancer treatment,” Banerjee said.

This was also the first national conference of the association.

Abbas Agaimy, professor and deputy director at the Institute of Pathology, Friedrich Alexander University, Germany; and Bharat Rekhi, professor at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, were among the speakers at the conference-cum-workshop.