WELCOME MESSAGES
THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL ORGANISING AND SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE OF THE CONFERENCES
Dear Colleagues,
It is with great pleasure to welcome you in Paphos, Cyprus, EU, host town of the 11th ICOAR, 14th RAHMS and 32nd ICOC multidisciplinary conferences of 2026.
These international joint annual conferences make this gathering of great significance to many physicians, academics, nurses, students and patients, especially those monitoring recent developments regarding health and many diseases affecting millions of people.
The multidisciplinary conference participants, will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the ancient city of Paphos, visit the ancient sites, museums and other areas, which are of cultural and natural sightseeing interest. Most importantly, they will have the opportunity during conference to enjoy a swim in the blue Mediterranean sea and also visit different beaches.
It is noteworthy that the venue of the conference is situated on a beach area on the seafront, not very far from the centre of Paphos. As in previous conferences the tranquillity of the venue and the excellent Cypriot cuisine and hospitality will be contributory factors for a successful conference in relaxing surroundings.
As you may have been informed, Papho’s history spans through thousands of years and has many natural, cultural and ancient attractions. In particular, Paphos has been known in ancient times as the birthplace of Aphrodite or Venous, the goddess of love, who was born from the foam of the sea waves. Paphos was also the capital of Cyprus when the apostles Paul and Barnabas visited the island in 45 AD.
During the conference, the staff at the registration desk and the local organising and scientific committee will be available for any enquiries. It is hoped that all the participants will have stimulating scientific sessions, memorable experience and an enjoyable and relaxing time in Cyprus.
Iliada Evripidou
Department of Paediatrics, Evagelismos Hospital and Postgraduate Research Institute, Paphos, Cyprus.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE 14th RAHMS,
SECTION OF DIGITAL PATHOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Dear Colleagues,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Digital Medicine Section of the 14th RAHMS Conference. Digital technologies are transforming every aspect of healthcare, enabling new approaches to diagnosis, treatment, research and education. As advances in imaging, automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and data science continue to accelerate, we have an unprecedented opportunity to improve the quality, efficiency and accessibility of patient care. At the same time, these innovations bring important challenges in validation, regulation, governance and implementation that require close collaboration between clinicians, scientists, engineers and industry.
This year's Digital Medicine programme explores the journey from laboratory innovation to clinical impact through the lens of digital pathology. The session begins with the foundations of digital pathology, demonstrating how the transition from glass slides to whole-slide imaging is reshaping diagnostic practice. We then consider the role of radio-frequency identification (RFID) in strengthening specimen traceability and laboratory efficiency before examining how AI can extract clinically meaningful information directly from routine histopathology images. Finally, we explore the translational pathway required to move AI from promising algorithms to safe, robust and clinically adoptable decision-support tools that improve outcomes for patients.
Although our examples focus on pathology, the principles discussed extend across medicine. Successful digital transformation depends not only on technological excellence but also on multidisciplinary collaboration, rigorous evaluation, thoughtful regulation and, above all, maintaining patient benefit at the centre of innovation.
I hope this meeting stimulates lively discussion, fosters new collaborations and inspires further research that will help shape the future of digital medicine. I would like to thank the organisers, speakers and delegates for their contributions, and I wish you an enjoyable and productive conference.
Orsi Nic M,
Associate Professor, University of Leeds, Women’s Health Research Group, Leeds institute of Medical Research, St James’s, University Hospital. Leeds. United Kingdom.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE 11th ICOAR, SECTION
OF DIAGNOSTIC MARKERS IN CANCER
Dear Colleagues,
It is my pleasure and privilege to welcome you in the 11th International Conference on Oncology and Anticancer Research (11th ICOAR), which is dedicated to the research and treatment of cancer and is being held in Paphos, Cyprus. Cancer is a disease known since ancient times, but in our time it represents a major worldwide medical problem. Data show that about 21 million new cases of cancer are registered annually and about 10 million people die. Cancer is a global problem and the number of cancer patients is constantly increasing. Early diagnosis is very important for detecting the disease because cancer usually occurs painlessly and without clear symptoms at the beginning. With the development of new technologies and biomedicine, diagnosis has been greatly improved. New methods in biochemistry, biotechnology and molecular biology have been introduced that can diagnose tumors more precisely and better. Numerous tumor markers have been discovered that help in diagnosis, but some of them are not specific for every type of tumor. However, by combining them, as well as using other methods such as radiological and imaging techniques, it is still possible to detect a tumor in its initial phase and start appropriate therapy, which is always better, especially if the tumor is detected in an early stage and before the development of any metastases.
Although not all tumors have the same etiological factors, some characteristics of tumors at the molecular level are common, including the absence of apoptosis, a controlled form of cell death, disruption of signaling pathways in cell division and the appearance of distant metastases in solid tumors. Understanding these complex processes, thanks to the development of biotechnology, has also enabled the application of new principles of treating patients with tumors by blocking disturbed processes, by creating new drugs that can act on certain points of the disturbed cell cycle, preventing the spread of metastases by blocking molecules responsible for vascularization and tumor adhesion. All this knowledge is immediately applied in clinical practice, and a special field of translational medicine in oncology has been developed. New drugs in tumor immunotherapy and the blockade of key molecules in the immune response (Immune checkpoint inhibitors) have led to immunosuppression and tumor spread reduction. Thanks to modern immunotherapy in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the survival of patients with certain type of tumors has been drastically extended and complete remission in some cases has also been achieved. Further studies are in progress related to the development of vaccines that can be preventative or therapeutic in their principle of action. Personalised therapies are currently developed based on tumor heterogeneity and the individuality of each patient. In particular, examination of molecular marker changes in individuals and creation of specific therapy based on individual diagnostic marker changes, represents today the basis of targeted, personalized therapy that is very successful.
Overall, progress and new knowledge should certainly give new hope in the treatment of cancer patients. However, prevention, screening and early diagnosis should still be widely available and should contribute to the earliest and best possible diagnosis of tumors. We hope that this congress with its many topics will contribute to a better understanding of this global problem, to cooperation between researchers and overall progress in this field.
Vladimir Jurisic
Professor, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Serbia
WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF CHELATORS AND METALS
Dear Colleagues,
It is a great pleasure, as President of the International Society of Chelators and Metals, to extend my warmest welcome to everyone attending this year's International Conference on Chelation. This important conference has a long and distinguished history, having brought together scientists, clinicians and students over many years in Cyprus and in other countries around the world. Through these meetings, enduring collaborations and friendships have been established, new ideas have been exchanged, and important advances in chelation science and metal biology have been encouraged.
The conference has made an exceptional contribution to the development of chelators for the treatment of iron overload disorders, particularly β-thalassaemia major, while also promoting the broader application of chelation and metal-targeting strategies in cancer and many other diseases. Equally important has been its role in supporting and training younger scientists. I personally benefited greatly from the scientific environment, encouragement and opportunities provided by these meetings during the development of my own career, and I know that many other researchers have had the same experience.
I would particularly like to recognise Prof. G J Kontoghiorghes for his longstanding leadership and his major contributions to the field. His pioneering work, including the development of the orally active iron-chelating agent deferiprone, has had an enduring impact on the treatment of patients with iron overload and on the international development of chelation therapy. His vision and determination have also been central to the continuing success of this conference and to the creation of a truly international community devoted to advancing chelation and metal-based medicine.
I very much look forward to many more successful conferences on chelation.
Richardson Des R.
Professor, Alan Mackay-Sim Distinguished Chair of Cancer Cell Biology, Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.
WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE ICOC, RAHMS AND ICOAR CONFERENCES
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the era of artificial intelligence, digital science / medicine and the new reality. I would also like to welcome you on behalf of the Local and International Organising and Scientific Committees, to the 32nd International Conference on Chelation (ICOC), the 14th International Conference on Recent Advances in Health and Medical Sciences (RAHMS) and the 11th International Conference on Oncology and Anticancer Research (ICOAR), which will take place in Paphos, Cyprus, from the 15th- 19th October, 2026.
The joint multidisciplinary conferences are organised by volunteer academics and health professionals and are open and free to the public. Hundreds of esteemed academics from all over the world have participated in the ICOC conferences since the first ICOC of 1989 in London, UK, which among other facilitated the development of Deferiprone (L1) and the introduction of oral iron chelation therapy globally, and also led to the transition of thalassemia from a fatal to a chronic disease, saving thousands of lives.
Hundreds of related articles have been selected from the ICOC conference proceedings and published in many peer review international journals over the years. The selection of articles is also the focus of this year’s publication proceedings, related to the design of AI models in science and medicine that will eventually lead to early and better diagnosis of diseases and new, safer and effective therapies in cancer and other untreatable diseases.
The challenges in science and medicine never end and the discovery of new molecules, pathways and mechanisms e.g. ferroptosis, may lead to the treatment of many diseases involving millions of patients. The ICOC/ RAHMS/ ICOAR joint multidisciplinary conferences are an open platform for stimulating research and open discussions in many scientific and academic areas from chemistry to medicine, with scientists and physicians participating from all over the world.
We anticipate, as always, to organise many social and other events and also a constructive, high standard scientific and medical conference in Cyprus.
George J Kontoghiorghes
Professor, Director, Postgraduate Research Institute of Science, Technology, Environment and Medicine, Limassol and Paphos, Cyprus.
