RESEARCH BY UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS PUBLISHED IN AN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL

An international study involving scientists from Ualikhanov University has been published in Scientific Reports, a prestigious scientific journal within Nature Portfolio. The publication of the findings on the patterns of rectal cancer incidence in Kazakhstan in a journal ranked in the first quartile (Q1) in Scopus marks a significant achievement in the university’s research activities.

The study was conducted under the scientific supervision of Nurbek Saginbekovich Igissin, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor and Head of the Center for Life and Health Sciences. University scientists Ivan Shishkin and Kulsara Rustemova also contributed as members of a team of 13 authors representing research and educational institutions in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Iran.

The scientific article, «Two decades of age-standardized rectal cancer incidence and its geographic disparities in Kazakhstan», examines changes in rectal cancer incidence across the country and regional patterns. Using data from the national cancer registry for 2005–2024, the researchers analysed 28,368 cases of rectal and rectosigmoid junction cancer.

The findings showed that people aged 50 and above accounted for 88.1 per cent of registered cases. The age-standardized incidence rate was 8.5 cases per 100,000 population. The rate was 10.9 among men and 7.0 among women. During the study period, the overall incidence rate increased by an average of 1.2 per cent annually, while the standardized rate, which accounts for the population’s age structure, showed no statistically significant change.

Regional analysis revealed higher incidence rates in northern and eastern Kazakhstan and comparatively lower rates in the southern regions. These differences highlight the importance of further research into the patterns of cancer incidence. The findings may provide a scientific basis for improving disease surveillance, identifying risk factors and planning preventive measures tailored to regional characteristics.

The study was conducted as part of the research project «Detection and study of colon diseases in Kazakhstan: clinical, diagnostic and morphological features, new methods and solutions», supported by grant funding from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2024–2026.

Professor Nurbek Saginbekovich Igissin is a scientist with extensive experience in cancer epidemiology and public health. He has authored 502 scientific works, including 282 research articles, 5 teaching manuals and 215 scientific conference abstracts. Of his works, 65 are indexed in the international Scopus database. Under his scientific supervision, 10 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates and 21 master’s graduates have completed their degrees.

Scientific Reports is an international peer-reviewed scientific journal within Springer Nature’s Nature Portfolio. The journal is ranked in the first quartile (Q1) in Scopus. According to its 2025 CiteScore, it ranks in the 87th percentile in the Multidisciplinary category, placing it among the top 13 per cent of journals in this field.

The publication of the scientific article in an international journal of this standing brings the findings of research conducted in Kazakhstan to the global scientific community and supports the development of research collaboration in cancer epidemiology. This achievement demonstrates the tangible results of joint research by the university’s scientists and their international colleagues.

We congratulate Professor Nurbek Saginbekovich and the international team of authors on this scientific achievement!

Full text of the scientific article: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-74344-3