In Japan, cancer affects one in two people and is the leading cause of death, and there have been various measures and studies aiming to address cancer as a high-priority health issue. However, there is a great degree of variance in the characteristics of people who develop different types of cancer as well as in the treatment methods they require, so the general term “cancer control” is insufficient to fully cover all forms of this disease.

Regarding the characteristics of breast cancer, while it depends on the stage at which it is detected, breast cancer generally has a higher 5-year survival rate than other types of cancer. As the most common type of cancer among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with peak onset among people in their 40s, breast cancer impacts younger generations. There are also various methods of treating breast cancer, such as chemotherapy (including genomic medicine), radiotherapy, fertility preservation, and breast reconstruction surgery. Also, over 90% of patients are women. Rather than only providing treatment, the characteristics of breast cancer make it an area that requires highly-personalized forms of psychological and social support.

Examining the situation from the perspective of breast cancer treatment, while clinical practice guidelines for breast cancer treatment have been established, there is a need for treatments that will serve as a foundation for many patients. Advances in highly-specialized treatment methods mean that various human resources have also become necessary.

However, there are many factors that lead to disparities in breast cancer treatment. First, there are regional disparities in the entire treatment system due to the separation of functions among healthcare facilities or in efforts to centralize or establish equity through inter- and intra-regional collaboration. There are also disparities among individuals due to differences in age of onset or life stage, as well as among which physicians possess specialist certifications. The degree to which the clinical practice guidelines are actually applicable to medical practice also varies.

Given the presence of such factors that lead to disparities in treatment, for the 128th HGPI Seminar, we will host Dr. Shigehira Saji (MD, PhD., Professor and Chairman, Department of Medical Oncology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine), who will discuss the current state of breast cancer treatment and examine the ideal healthcare provision system. Disparity is recognized as an issue by the entire medical community. To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, we would like to consider this issue from the perspective of breast cancer.

[Event Overview]

• Speaker: Dr. Shigehira Saji (MD, PhD. Professor and Chairman, Department of Medical Oncology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine)
• Date & Time: Tuesday, October 29, 2024; 18:30-19:45 JST
• Format: Online (Zoom webinar)
• Language: Japanese
• Participation Fee: Free
• Capacity: 500 participants

■Profile

Dr. Shigehira Saji (MD, PhD. Professor and Chairman, Department of Medical Oncology, Fukushima Medical University, School of Medicine)

Dr. Shigehira Saji is currently Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medical Oncology, Fukushima Medical University, School of Medicine. He also has an appointment as Director of Medical Oncology and Clinical Oncology Center of Fukushima Medical University Hospital.
He received MD degree in 1992 and PhD degree in 1999 from his hometown university, Gifu University School of Medicine. After residency at Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, he accumulated his basic and clinical research experience at Saitama Cancer Center Research Institute (1998), Karolinska Institute, Sweden (1999-2001) and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texas (2003).
Prior to his current appointment, he was chief physician of Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital (2001-2009), associate professor of Saitama Medical University (2009-2011) and of Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine (2011-2014).
His main areas of research include basic biology of hormone dependent breast cancer and translational/clinical research related to endocrine therapy and immune therapy. He conducted several research projects and published numerous papers in this field. He is a steering committee member of several global phase-III studies. He is involved in running of large clinical study groups such as JCOG (Japan Clinical Oncology Group) and JBCRG (Japan Breast Cancer Research Group), and serves as executive board member of JBCS (Japanese Breast Cancer Society), JSMO (Japanese Society of Medical Oncology) and BIG (Breast International Group). He is also a Steering Committee member of EBCTCG (Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group). He enjoys several tough sports such as ultramarathon around 70-120km, climbing the Japan Alps and backcountry skiing.