SUMMARY

7th Baltic Conference of Hematology has taken part on May 20-22, 2010 in Tartu (Estonia).

The tradition was created by prof Hele Everaus in 1998 when the first conference has been organized in Tartu. The time has been very different as after getting independence in 1991 all Baltic countries faced difficult problems and creation of laboratory and clinical hematology in necessary level was not the easy task.

Further conferences have been in every two years in Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn. This time conference had 160 attendants, also separate nurses day.

Numerous outstanding specialists beside the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian colleagues have participated.

President of European Hematology Association professor Robin Foà has motivated everybody at the opening speech and he presented the new aspects in the management of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Professor Dieter Hoelzer discussed differences in biology and outcome of Burkitt leukemia/lymphoma and T-lymphoblastic leukemia/ lymphoma. Eva Hellström-Lindberg and Robert Hast presented aspects of the MDS. Prof Axel R Zander provided the auditorium with new option of the treatment of osteomyelofibrosis. Excellent presentation of integrated diagnostics of hematologic malignancies was given by Anna Porwit. Magnus Björkholm demonstrated the role of epidemiological studies in hematological malignancies. Jane Apperley’s presentation was devoted to the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. New trends in the management were discussed by Eva Kimby. Different aspects of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have been discussed by Alejandro Madrigal, Marcel Tilanus, Alvaro Urbano Ispizua, Tapani Ruutu, Kim Vettenranta.

Interesting topics have been presented by Baltic hematologists – Regina Pileckyte, Mindaugas Stoskus, Lina Rageliene, Indre Vengalyte, Mickys Ugnius (all Lithuania), Irena Voitovicha (Latvia); Alar Aints, Kristina Anderson, Edward Laane (Estonia).

From different aspects the possibilities to be more personalized in hematology have been discussed. As it has been demonstrated in the presentation of the conference president Hele Everaus – personalized approach in hematology is not dream, it is the important paradigm where to develop specialty.