NCPPS Holds Round Table on Bone Marrow Donation and Transplantation Ahead of International Childhood Cancer Day

On February 12, ahead of International Childhood Cancer Day, NCPPS JSC, in partnership with the "Assel Baiseitova ABFond" Charitable Foundation, held a round table on "Current Issues in Donation, Bone Marrow Transplantation, and Rehabilitation of Oncology Patients."

Doctors, NGO representatives, and parents of sick children undergoing treatment at NCPPS JSC took part in the event.

The main goal of the event was to explain the indications, conditions, and risks of hematopoietic stem cell donation. Presentations were given on the current state of this service in Kazakhstan, and challenges and prospects for the development of pediatric oncohematology, as well as issues of bone marrow donation and transplantation, were discussed.

At the round table, Lyazat Manzhuova, Chief Freelance Pediatric Oncohematologist of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan, reported on the state of pediatric oncology services in the country. According to her, approximately 600 new cases of childhood cancer are identified in Kazakhstan each year.

"In 2024, 638 children in the country were diagnosed with cancer for the first time. After completing intensive antitumor treatment at national centers, children are monitored at their place of residence under the supervision of regional pediatric oncologists and hematologists. Currently, around 4,987 children who are in remission after treatment for malignant tumors are under dispensary observation in the country. Approximately 70% of childhood cancers are successfully treated, thanks to improved diagnostics and the use of modern therapeutic methods.

Unfortunately, there are currently no childhood cancer prevention or screening programs anywhere in the world. However, it has been proven that early diagnosis of solid tumors improves the chances of recovery. That is why raising awareness among the medical community and the general public about the early symptoms of cancer plays an important role. Thanks to ongoing training of regional physicians in oncological vigilance, the diagnosis of stageable tumors at stages 1–2 has increased from 29% in 2015 to 46% in 2024," noted Lyazat Manzhuova, Chief Freelance Pediatric Oncohematologist of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the round table.

In her remarks, Svetlana Selyunina, Head of the "Assel Baiseitova Charitable Foundation," presented the foundation's main areas of activity.

At the round table, Gulnara Abdilova, Head of the Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Center at NCPPS JSC and Candidate of Medical Sciences, spoke about the role of rehabilitation and medical-social adaptation for children with oncohematological diseases. In turn, Yergali Sarsekbayev, Head of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Department at NCPPS JSC, shared results on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children in Kazakhstan.

"Since 2012, NCPPS JSC has performed 253 hematopoietic stem cell transplants. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is used for oncological and hematological diseases. Each case is considered individually. The essence of this procedure is to replace pathological or destroyed bone marrow. For many patients, transplantation has offered a chance to overcome this terrible illness. Transplantation not only allows for long-term, stable remission of the disease when traditional treatment is ineffective, but in a number of diseases, it can also lead to a complete cure.

Since 2012, autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants have been performed in Kazakhstan for children with oncological and hematological diseases. Since 2019, NCPPS has performed allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants from unrelated donors from the registries of Kazakhstan and Russia. In 2022, Kazakhstan performed its first allogeneic unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplant using the international Stefan Morsch registry. Previously, patients who required an allogeneic unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplant from an international registry had to be transplanted at foreign transplant centers. Currently, patients have the opportunity to receive this operation within Kazakhstan as part of the guaranteed volume of free medical care. From 2019 to 2024, there were 7 HSC donations from the National Registry of Kazakhstan, as well as 16 transplants from foreign registries (Russia, Germany, Poland)," noted Yergali Sarsekbayev.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in pediatrics is one of the most advanced fields of medicine. Scientists place great hope in stem cells for achieving a complete cure for cancer.

The Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Department at NCPPS JSC began operating in 2012 with the goal of providing highly specialized care to children and adolescents. The department performs all types of transplantation:

• Autologous transplants.
• Allogeneic transplants.
• Haploidentical transplants, which use hematopoietic stem cells from a partially matched related donor (parents).