PREVIOUS EVENTS

Since its faundation, the Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology of Serbia has held a large number of professional meetings. Twice a year, professional meetings were regularly organized where current topics from the domain of the section's activities were discussed. Once a year, an extra meeting of the Society was organized in one of the cities of Serbia - Pirot, Gradište, Zaječar, Arandjelovac, Valjevo... These events were great chance to gather a large number of doctors from the region. Whenever the conditions met, the Society made an effort to organize event that would have international importance.

An advanced course in colposcopy was organized on March 23, 2004 in cooperation with the International Federation for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (IFCPC). This course, held at the Sava Center, was the first large meeting in the field of colposcopy. Lectures were held by top experts from around the world. At that moment, practically all of them were in Board of the International Association, including President Howard Jones III.

This meeting opened up new horizons for many young colleagues, and after it, the interest in colposcopy grew rapidly. Also, the awareness of the importance of this method and the overall area that the Society deals with, has grown among the professional public.

The European Federation for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, together with our Society, organized the 4th European Congress for Colposcopy, from September 20th to 22th, 2007 in Belgrade. It was one of the first European congresses organized in Serbia. About 350 delegates from 35 European countries gathered at the Sava Center in Belgrade to enjoy a very interesting scientific program.

The social program was equally successful with an Opening ceremony including a guest lecture by renowned Professor of Epidemiology, Ciaran Woodman, from the Department of Cancer Studies, Birmingham, UK entitled "The Natural History of HPV Infection: Unresolved Questions".

The quality of all the lectures, as well as the professional and social contacts achieved at that time, has brought our colposcopic community a valued place in Europe.

The second regional symposium on cervical cancer prevention "Cervical cancer prevention - an ongoing challenge" brought together colleagues from all countries of the former Yugoslavia. Sharing the same problems at work and a common past, confirmed the unbreakable bonds between all within the region who work in the same field. The Society is particularly pleased that this meeting started a tradition of organizing the regional meetings every two years, each time in a different country of the region.

The First Regional Seminar: Advanced Colposcopy was held in Belgrade on 2–3 November 2018. The seminar was organized under the patronage of the European Federation for Colposcopy (EFC), with the support of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republic of Srpska, the Gynecology and Obstetrics Section of the Serbian Medical Society, and the Serbian Association for Gynaecological Oncology.

The aim of this seminar was to equip gynecologists who had completed basic colposcopy training with the skills necessary to comprehensively assess and manage clinical problems related to pathology of the lower genital tract. The Advanced Colposcopy Course program was developed in accordance with the standards of the European Federation for Colposcopy, and the faculty consisted of experts from Europe and the region. The seminar was attended by approximately 150 colleagues, not only from Serbia and the region, but also from other European countries.

The Advanced Colposcopy Seminar was highly successful. Outstanding lectures and interactive sessions made a strong impression on the participants. For many attendees, the knowledge gained at this meeting shaped their entire future professional work in the field of colposcopy. A particular value of this first regional seminar was the exchange of experience and collegial networking among participants from all countries of the region, establishing strong collaborative ties that continue to this day.

The Association for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology of Serbia marked its 30th anniversary by organizing an international conference, with the Medical Academy of the Serbian Medical Society serving as a co-organizer of the event. The conference entitled “Anogenital Neoplasia in Focus” was held on 26–27 September 2025 in Belgrade, under the patronage of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia. The scientific program included sessions and speakers from four international societies: the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the European Federation for Colposcopy (EFC), the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD), and the International Anal Neoplasia Society (IANS).

The primary objective of the event was to enable gynaecologists working in the field of prevention to comprehensively address and manage clinical issues related to neoplasia of the entire anogenital system. The scope of topics covered included cytology, colposcopy, cervical cancer prevention, HPV, vaginal and vulvar diseases, as well as anal and perianal HSIL.

The program brought together 22 internationally recognized experts and 10 regional specialists, who shared their knowledge and experience with the aim of advancing the prevention and detection of anogenital neoplasia. A significant portion of the program was dedicated to interactive sessions, discussions, and debates addressing challenging and unresolved issues in this field.

The conference welcomed 126 participants from more than ten countries. All countries of the region were represented, including Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece. It was a particular pleasure to welcome colleagues from Georgia, Russia, and Iraq. The overall impression was that “It was truly a privilege to attend the conference, not only because of the high scientific quality of the meeting, but also because of the genuine warmth and friendship that we all experienced.”

The event evaluation demonstrated that the majority of participants considered the conference to be useful, engaging, productive, and dynamic, successfully meeting its educational objectives and expected learning outcomes. “The most valuable aspect was the opportunity to learn more about the latest advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of anogenital neoplasia, combined with the possibility of exchanging knowledge with experts from different specialties.”

The Association will continue to place special emphasis on education at both the basic and advanced levels, striving to maintain a high standard of professional practice and to align it with the standards of the European Federation for Colposcopy. In addition to the goal of enabling as many gynaecologists as possible to master colposcopy, future efforts will be directed toward the development and adoption of criteria to ensure quality control in this field, with the primary objective of providing the highest possible standard of care to women in Serbia.

Among national meetings, a particularly prominent place was held by the professional meetings organized in Aranđelovac and Valjevo.

The professional meeting in Aranđelovac, held on 18 May 2012, focused on “The Bethesda Cytological Classification and Its Clinical Application.” Its objective was to educate gynecologists on the categories and significance of findings, as well as on the appropriate reporting of results within the Bethesda classification system, which had already begun to be implemented in Serbia at that time. The meeting also presented a proposed protocol for further clinical management in cases of confirmed pathological findings of the cervix. Many of the recommendations introduced at that time have since become an accepted part of contemporary colposcopic practice.

The Association meeting in Valjevo, held on 10 May 2013, was dedicated to diseases of the vulva. The wide spectrum of conditions that may manifest in the vulvar region in women throughout their lives far exceeds the scope of a single medical specialty. This meeting is remembered for bringing together gynecologists, dermatologists, microbiologists, and pathologists, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment. The outstanding lectures delivered by experts from these fields led, at the request of many colleagues, to the repetition of the symposium “Diseases of the Vulva”, which was held on 24 April 2014 in Belgrade.

Colposcopy is an integral part of the organized screening program for cervical cancer. Colposcopy examination is the first following step after receiving a positive screening result and the entire further course of diagnostics and the success of the screening program as a whole depends on its quality. Mistakes in diagnosis or, on the other hand, unnecessary treatment can significantly affect a woman's future health, but also disproportionately increase the cost of the overall treatment.

The Society considers it its duty to provide high-quality training based on European standards for the performance and organization of colposcopy to gynaecologists who will be included in the screening program at the primary, as well as at the secondary and tertiary level.

Education program of the Society started with the organization of the Basic Colposcopy Course.

The aim of this course is to provide the theoretical basis of colposcopy and colposcopic methodology. The program includes the acquisition of knowledge from the tissue basis of colposcopy, the principles of performing colposcopy, colposcopic diagnosis and treatment decisions. The focus of the entire course is on an interactive approach based on the displayed images, their recognition and adequate treatment.

So far, 14 basic courses in colposcopy have been held, attended by about 500 colleagues. All these courses were accredited by the Health Council of Serbia as National meetings of the I category.

Clinic for Gynaecology and Obstetrics

Serbian Clinical Center

Koste Todorovića 26

11000 Beograd