Belgian Week of
Pathology 2026

23-24.01.2026

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We are delighted to announce the 15^th edition of the Belgian Week of Pathology (BWP), which will take place at the Tangla Hotel in Brussels on January 23-24, 2026.

After a brief hiatus in 2025 for the successful joint Ghent Pathology 2025 meeting with the BDIAP and PathSoc, we are especially excited to welcome you back to our dedicated annual congress. The previous editions of the BWP have been a great success, bringing together a vast majority of pathologists in Belgium, and we look forward to continuing this tradition.

The core mission of the BWP remains to offer a prime environment for pathologists to share knowledge, insights, and experiences. Our goal is to enhance professional development for the ultimate benefit of our patients and to foster a strong collaborative spirit within our community.

In collaboration with the diverse working groups of the BSP, we are building a comprehensive and educational programme. The 2026 edition will feature sessions from almost all BSP working groups. We are also proud to continue supporting the next generation with the dedicated Young Pathologists Session.

This year's Keynote Lecture will be delivered by Professor Sylvie Lantuejoul from France, who will present on "Recent developments in Small Cell Lung Carcinoma". We are also honored to welcome other international experts, including Professor Andres Martin Acosta (USA) and Professor Daniel Berney (UK) for the UroPathology session, and Professor Cristian Scatena (Italy) for the joint Dermato- & Breast Pathology joint meeting.

We strongly encourage residents and young pathologists to submit their work for poster and oral presentations. Awards will be presented to celebrate excellent research and the presentation of compelling and challenging cases.

The congress is also about reconnecting with peers. The Pathology Congress Dinner on Friday evening offers a perfect opportunity to reunite with colleagues and engage with our esteemed guest speakers in a convivial setting.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our industry partners for their unwavering support, which is instrumental to the success of this event.

We look forward to welcoming you to Brussels for another inspiring and successful BWP.

Vasiliki Siozopoulou, BWP President
Koen Van de Vijver, BSP President

Koen VAN DE VIJVER
Belgian Society of Pathology
President

Vasiliki SIOZOPOULOU
Belgian Week of Pathology
President

Board

Vice-presidents

Birgit WEYNAND

Romaric CROES

Treasurer

Karl DHAENE

Secretary (NL)

Claire BOURGAIN

Secretary (FR)

Joan SOMJA

Past President

Pieter DEMETTER

Members

Ann DRIESSEN

Kristof COKELAERE

Maria-Dolores MARTIN MARTINEZ

Shaira SAHEBALI

Gert VAN DEN EYNDEN

Amélie DENDOOVEN

Christine GALANT

Sirimsi SABRIYA

Herbert PLASSCHAERT

Keven WETZELS

Cytotechnologist's representative

Miet VANHERCK

Céline DEGAILLIER

Working Groups

Breast

Giuseppe FLORIS

Cytology

Shaira SAHEBALI

Céline DEGAILLIER

Digestive

Ann DRIESSEN

Ecologic Transformation

Ivan THÉATE

Haematopathology

Pascale DE PAEPE

Head and Neck

Senada KOLJENOVIĆ

Gynaecological pathology

Jean-Christophe NOËL

Molecular

Nicky D'HAENE

Neuropathology

Dietmar THAL

Surgical

Philippe DELVENNE

Urology

Maria-Dolores MARTIN MARTINEZ

Dermatopathology

Vasiliki SIOZOPOULOU

Digitization of pathology

Amélie DENDOOVEN

Preliminary programme

TOPIC 2026: Lung Pathology
KEYNOTE TOPIC: Lung Pathology

Prof. Sylvie Lantuejoul (Lyon/ Grenoble, France)

■ Royal 1 ■ Royal 2 & 3

08:00-09:00	• Welcome
09:00-10:30	■ Head & Neck Working Group Practical approach to salivary gland tumors Dr. Ignace Dalle (AZ Sint-Lucas Brugge) Importance of molecular diagnostics, including for small biopsies and cytology Prof. Dr. Esther Hauben (UZ Leuven) Standardized reporting of salivary gland tumors (and other H&N sites) in Belgium Harlinde De Schutter (Belgian Cancer Registry)
09:00-10:30	■ Digitization Working group Working Group Update: A Status Report Members of the working group
10:30-11:15	• Coffee Break & Poster Tour
10:40-11:10	• Satellite Symposium
11:15-12:45	■ Gynecopathology Working Group Indication for placenta examination and legal aspects Prof. Drucilla Roberts (Cambridge, USA)
11:15-12:45	■ Neuropathology Working group Diagnosis of neuroinflammatory conditions in brain biopsies Prof. Christine Stadelmann-Nessler (Göttingen, Germany)
12:45-14:00	• Lunch & Poster Tour
13:20-13:50	• Satellite Symposium
14:00-15:30	■ UroPathology Working Group Testis lectures on GCT and SCT Prof Acosta, Andres Martin (Indianapolis, USA) / Prof Berney, Daniel (London, UK) 30 minutes practical cases Members of the working group
15:30-16:15	• Coffee Break & Poster Tour
15:40-16:10	• Satellite Symposium
16:15-17:30	■ Haematopathology Working Group Beautiful lymphomas cases in the lung and mediastinum Members of the working group
16:15-17:30	■ Joint Meeting Dermato- & Breast Pathology Working Groups Update on nipple lesions of the breast Prof. Cristian Scatena (Pisa, Italy) Case presentation Members of the working group
18:00-19:00	KEYNOTE LECTURE: Lung Cancer Recent developments in Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Prof. Sylvie Lantuejoul (Lyon / Grenoble, France)
19:00-19:30	• Cocktail Reception
19:30-23:00	• Dîner

08:00-09:00	• Welcome
09:00-10:30	■ Cytopathology ASC-US study by the EFCS Dr. Claire Bourgain (Imelda Ziekenhuis) EKE cervical cytology by Sciensano ScC. Vanessa Gislain (UZ Brussel)
09:00-10:30	■ Joint meeting Young Pathologists & Molecular Working Group Molecular insight of uterine carcinoma Prof Koen Van de Vijver (UZ Ghent)
10:30-11:15	• Coffee Break & Poster Tour
10:40-11:10	• Satellite Symposium
11:15-12:45	■ Cytopathology Focus on cytology exams by IAC Case discussion (GYN) Members of the working group
11:15-12:45	■ Molecular Pathology Working Group Liquid biopsy applications for NSCLC Resistancy mechanisms in NSCLC (Speakers: TBA)
12:45-14:00	• Lunch & Poster Tour
13:00-13:20	■ General Assembly Belgian Society of Pathology
13:20-13:50	• Satellite Symposium
14:00-16:00	■ Surgical Pathology Adult autopsy investigation of sudden death cases: a correct methodology is crucial for secondary prevention Prof Guilia d’Amati (Rome, Italy) Autopsy neuropathology across the lifespan: age-dependent disorders of the nervous system Dr. Stefanie Brock (UZ Brussel)
14:00-16:00	■ Digestive Pathology Working Group Non-IBD colitis Laurine Verset (ULB Bordet) IBD-colitis Pamela Baldin (UC St Luc) Dysplasia in IBD Prof. Dr. Ensari (Ankara, Turkey) Colitis-associated cancer Prof. Dr M Scvrek (Lyon, France)
16:00-16:15	• Awards Ceremony Closing Ceremony BWP 2026

Abstract Submission

Abstract submission is open till November 30, 2025. The Belgian Society of Pathology invites all residents and researchers to participate actively in this congress. The submitted abstracts should give a brief description of the title and topic. All abstracts will be reviewed by the Scientific Committee. Three prizes of €500 will be awarded for best oral presentation of a research topic, for best oral presentation of a case report and for best poster presentation during the Belgian Week of Pathology 2026.

Please note that no extension of the abstract submission deadline will be granted, given the proximity of the congress date

Guidelines for preparation:

Please choose a title that clearly indicates the content of the contribution.
Titles should contain no more than 100 characters, including space. The rest of the abstract text should contain no more than 300 words.
Please make sure to use proper English language.
Please avoid abbreviations in the title (exception: scientific terms). Abbreviations may be used in the text if they are defined when used first. Please avoid using capital letters in the title.
Submitting author states for all authors: name, institution, city and country. Please omit titles and degrees. The e-mail address of the first author is mandatory for notifications.
Graphs and pictures are not allowed and will cancel the submission. Please avoid references.
The abstract should be informative and clearly structured. Content must include: Background and objective / Materials and methods / Results / Conclusions
Ensure that the abstract does not contain spelling, grammar or scientific errors, as it will be reproduced exactly as submitted.
Abstracts which do not conform to the guidelines, will be cancelled and will require a new submission.
All abstracts must be submitted no later than November 30, 2025.
A maximum of 3 abstracts per author will be accepted for submission.
All abstracts will be evaluated and notification will be given to the first author in the week after December 8, 2025. The best abstracts submitted by a resident or a PhD student will be invited as Oral Presentations.
Registration to the congress is mandatory to be able to present the abstract (poster or oral presentation) and must be completed by December 8, 2025. If the submitting author fails to register, his / her abstract will be excluded.
Abstracts should be e-mailed to the President of the BWP 2026, prof. dr. Vasiliki Siozopoulou: vasiliki.siozopoulou@saintluc.uclouvain.be

Download the abstract submission template