TEHRAN -- The 2nd international congress on advances in hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplantation and the first nursing meeting was held on September 25-27 in Tehran, alongside workshops on the last two days of the congress. An exclusive interview with Dr. A. Qavamzadeh the president of the congress and some European professors follows.

Q: Would you please explain your main purpose for holding the congress? A: Professors from 15 countries participated in this congress, and many papers were presented here. Our main purpose was to exchange information and to improve our international communication potentials. We, also, wanted to familiarize the doctors with the findings. Meanwhile, they get to know about the Iranian specialists' performance, here. In this congress we concluded various contracts with the European countries such as Austria, in regard to research studies. We also concluded a contract with Germany for therapy of blood cancer patients, in addition to making the necessary arrangements for sending physicians and nurses on scientific journeys, said Ghavamzadeh the congress chairman.

Q = Would you please introduce your center's activities? A: Our center complies with the international standards. We practice thalassemia transplantation in the center, too.

We are able to do 200 transplantations annually, in Iran, but 650 transplants are in demand per annum. We need nurses and specialists in this field. We have done 631 cases of thalassemia, lung and breast cancer transplants. We hope that the officials help us to improve our plans.

Q: What is the relation between this congress and the nursing meeting? A: Physicians' and nurses' duties are very close to each other, hence, if the physicians are successful in their duties, nurses would benefit from it, too.

Q: Dr. Cobos, please explain your idea about holding this seminar as well as Iran's level in hematology, oncology and BMT? A: First, I must say that in Iran high-class technology is applied. Tehran is one of the leaders in bone marrow transplantation for thalassemia. The seminar was very well attended and all of the speakers were outstanding. Native and foreign attendees can benefit from the congress's discussions. Iran has progressed in bone marrow transplantation and new findings are abundant. Iranian specialists have highly advanced themselves in thalassemia and blood cancer therapy.

Q: Your speech was about new strategy and treatment in multiple myeloma, please brief us on these subjects? A: Multiple myeloma is the malignant disease of plasma cells that accounts for 1% of new cancers.

Proliferation of the malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow produces skeletal destruction which result in bone pain and fractures. Although myeloma remains an incurable illness, the improved understanding sets the stage for a new treatment paradigm to improve outcome and eventual cure.

Q: Professor R. Powle, what do you think about holding this international congress? First I must say I'm so happy here. Iranian people are always laughing, your food is delicious and you have a good country. This scientific congress was well-advanced, and my speech was about providing a new strategy and treatment for acute linoblastic leukemia.

This congress was held at Tehran Heart Center ac companied by Dr. Shariati Hematology, Oncology and BMT Center.