Cytopathology

The Cytopathology Working Group (WG) belongs to the long list of ESP WGs representing all the subspecialties of our discipline “Pathology”. The cytopathology WG was created on Madeira Island, during the 1st Intercontinental Congress of Pathology, and its first chair was Fernando Schmitt, from Portugal. The decision to create a Cytopathology WG was made with the goal of bringing cytopathology closer to all the other fields of pathology. Since the Cytopathology WG’s conception its aims included the activities of other cytopathology societies such as the EFCS and IAC. Nevertheless, the majority of pathologists and residents attending the ESP but not cytology congresses of these societies are devoted to more specialized and expert participants. Therefore, the Cytopathology WG’s scientific and educative activity is needed. The past chairs of this WG, P. Firat (Turkey) and P. Zeppa (Italy) have consequently increased the number of sessions allotted to cytopathology and have developed a close collaboration with other WGs.

This collaboration was highlighted with the organization of two-joint symposia in 2014 and 2015 with the Gynaecological and Endocrine WGs. Currently, the main objectives of the Cytopathology WG are the following:

1) to propose other joint sessions, as cytopathology has the opportunity to work with most other WGs

2) to organize sessions which include oncologists in order to show the role of cytopathology in patient management and targeted therapies’ decisions

3) to develop an active collaboration with the residents committee

4) to select with our almost 60 active members the topics which most need updating and fresh information.