Correct Knowledge About Cancer First-Ever "Cancer Summit" Held

On June 1, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare held the "Cancer Summit" at the Marunouchi Building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. This event focused on countermeasures against cancer, the leading cause of death among Japanese people. Approximately 300 participants from diverse fields attended, including patients and their families, medical professionals, researchers, and government officials.

Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Yasuhisa Shiozaki stated in his address, "It will soon be ten years since the Basic Act on Cancer Control was enacted, and we must renew our commitment to cancer countermeasures." He revealed that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had instructed him to finalize the "Cancer Control Acceleration Plan" within the year. He stated that the plan would focus on three pillars: "preventing avoidable cancers through early detection," "reducing mortality through research on intractable cancers," and "supporting coexistence with cancer by addressing palliative care, community healthcare, and employment issues."

Prime Minister Abe sent a message stating, "Through this new plan, we aim to further extend healthy life expectancy by advancing efforts to overcome cancer. I hope this event becomes a solid step toward significant progress in our countermeasures."

Attendees included Diet members such as Hidehisa Otsuji (former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare; representative of the Diet Cancer Patients and Families Association) and Akiko Sando (Chairperson of the LDP Parliamentary League for the Prevention of Passive Smoking), who offered congratulatory remarks for the inaugural summit.

In the keynote speeches, representatives and researchers from related organizations, including Morito Kadota, Chairman of the Cancer Control Promotion Council, and Tomomitsu Hotta, President of the National Cancer Center, introduced national cancer control measures and the future of healthcare from their respective perspectives.

During the panel discussion, Olympic marathon medalist Yuko Arimori,who serves asthe Ministry's "Vibrant Health Ambassador,"and marathon coach Yoshio Koide (CEO of Sakura Athlete Club) took the stage. They engaged in a talk titled "Toward a Smoke-Free Nation in 2020." The two had a coach-athlete relationship during Arimori's active career.

Mr. Koide shared how he quit smoking at Ms. Arimori's request back then, while Ms. Arimori fondly recalled running with cigarettes sewn into her uniform at the Barcelona Games, planning to present them to her coach after finishing. Their anecdotes lightened the mood in the venue. They also spoke about their vision for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics: "We want to welcome international visitors to a country free of cigarette butts and litter in its streets," and "We hope this becomes an era where everyone, from children to adults, thinks about health and aims for a smoke-free society."

Finally, moderated by Associate Professor Keiichi Nakagawa of the Department of Radiology at the University of Tokyo Hospital, a talk discussion titled "Toward Realizing the Cancer Care Patients Demand" was held. Six representatives from cancer patient groups touched on current issues such as "cancer education," "patient employment problems," and "palliative care," and discussed future countermeasures.

Smart Life Project: http://www.smartlife.go.jp/

＊Smart Life Project

A national campaign by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, with the slogan "Let's extend our healthy life expectancy." Its goal is for all citizens to live energetically, healthily, and enjoyably every day until the end of their lives. It calls for concrete actions primarily in three areas: exercise, diet, and smoking cessation. Since fiscal year 2014, it has added receiving health checkups and screenings as a new theme. It promotes further extension of healthy life expectancy through cooperation and collaboration with participating companies, organizations, and local governments.