Tajikistan Marks Medical Breakthrough with First Minimally Invasive Prostate Cancer Surgery

Tajikistan has achieved a major healthcare milestone with the country’s first successful endoscopic treatment for prostate cancer, carried out at the Republican Scientific Center for Oncology Research.

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tajikistan said five patients underwent prostatectomy using the new minimally invasive technique, The Caspian Post reports via Tajik media.

The procedure involves small incisions, significantly limiting tissue damage and blood loss, reducing postoperative pain, and cutting hospital stays to six or seven days. Health officials emphasized that the method is highly effective and greatly lowers the risk of complications.

Previously, prostate cancer surgeries in Tajikistan were performed only through open operations, which required large incisions, caused extensive tissue trauma, involved longer recovery periods, and carried higher risks of postoperative complications. The adoption of endoscopic surgery signals a shift toward safer, less invasive cancer care.

Earlier, the Republican Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery also recorded a historic achievement by removing a pancreatic head tumor using an endoscopic approach through the oral cavity, avoiding external incisions. Until then, such procedures had relied solely on open surgery with lengthy recoveries.

According to the Ministry of Health, Tajikistan introduced 72 medical innovations in 2025 alone — including 14 diagnostic advances and 58 new treatment methods — underscoring the rapid modernization of the country’s healthcare system.