The history of the formation and development of the pediatric oncology service at St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University (dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the University and the 120th anniversary of the Clinical Hospital of St. Petersburg State Medical University)

In 2025, the St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University celebrates the anniversary dates – the 100^th anniversary of the University and the 120^th anniversary of the clinical hospital of the St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University. These glorious figures are a reason to once again recall the history of the University in the context of the formation of individual specializations in pediatrics and pediatric surgery, in particular, pediatric oncology – one of the most difficult and priority areas of modern medicine.

Objective: to analyze the main stages of the development of pediatric oncology care at St. Petersburg Pediatric University

In 1925, the city hospital on the Vyborgskaya side was transformed into a completely new institution in terms of format and objectives, as the first specialized higher medical educational institution of the pediatric profile in the world – the Leningrad Institute of Maternal and Infant Care. This created a unique environment for the development of all areas of pediatrics, including pediatric oncology.

The pediatric oncology service was formed in the middle of the twentieth century, thanks to the efforts of two pioneering doctors in our country: Lev Abramovich Durnov (1931–2005) in Moscow and Genrikh Arsenievich Fedoreev (1930–1980) in Leningrad. Professor Lev Abramovich Durnov was the founder of the first pediatric oncology department in the USSR in 1962. The establishment of the first specialized department was a crucial step in the development of pediatric oncology. A school of pediatric oncologists is being formed. Active scientific research in the field of children's tumors has begun.

Pediatric oncology has always been one of the most challenging and relevant issues in both pediatric surgery and pediatrics as a whole.

It is a multidisciplinary field that requires collaboration and a comprehensive approach from doctors of various specialties. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Pediatric Institute's Department of Pediatric Surgery, led by Girey Alievich Bairov, continued to develop specific areas of pediatric surgery, including the importance of pediatric oncology, training specialists, and instilling "oncological awareness" in young pediatric students. Pediatric oncology was taught to students in the “Pediatric Surgery” course since 1974. The department was opened on September 1, 2007. This event marked a new chapter in the history of the university and the training of medical professionals in St. Petersburg. From the very beginning, the department's primary goal was to establish an organizational, methodological, and scientific foundation for the qualified teaching of clinical oncology and pediatric oncology. The establishment of the Department of Pediatric Oncology at St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University was a significant milestone that elevated the training of specialists to a new, specialized level. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the treatment of pediatric cancer. The cure rate for children with malignant tumors has reached 70 % due to the use of intensive chemotherapy programs and improved supportive treatment. The department's staff actively participates in optimizing treatment programs.

The St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University is rightfully considered one of the fundamental and leading centers for pediatric oncology in Russia, where the traditions established by the pioneers continue and develop in modern conditions.

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