Greeting

I am deeply honored to have been appointed President of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society (JBCS). My name is Kenzo Shimazu, Professor and Chair of the Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine.
Next year, the JBCS will celebrate its 35th anniversary, an important milestone in our history. The Society's achievements today are the result of many years of dedicated efforts by our former leaders, senior colleagues, and members throughout Japan. While carrying forward the strong foundation built over the past 35 years, I am committed to creating a future-oriented Society with a vision extending to the next 35 years. I believe it is my mission to lead the JBCS toward creating new value and making even greater contributions to patients, society, and our members.
Breast cancer now affects one in nine Japanese women during their lifetime. More than 100,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually in Japan, and this number is projected to reach approximately 140,000 over the next 15 years. Breast cancer also has a distinctive age distribution, with one of its incidence peaks occurring among women in their late 40s. Consequently, many patients are diagnosed during the years when they are actively pursuing their careers and raising their families. In addition to improving treatment outcomes, comprehensive care encompassing employment support, fertility, cosmetic outcomes, and psychosocial support is therefore becoming increasingly important.
While breast cancer mortality has steadily declined in Western countries, Japan has yet to achieve a comparable reduction. We must take this situation seriously. One of the most important missions of the JBCS is to achieve a clear and sustained reduction in breast cancer mortality in Japan. Accomplishing this goal will require not only the development of new treatments but also high-quality screening programs, equitable access to high-quality care, multidisciplinary team-based medicine, comprehensive patient support, and further advancement of preventive medicine.
Breast cancer care is advancing at an unprecedented pace. In surgery, the full-scale introduction of minimally invasive treatments, including radiofrequency ablation, endoscopic surgery, and robot-assisted surgery, is now on the horizon. In systemic therapy, innovative treatments such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are rapidly being incorporated into clinical practice. At the same time, the framework for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) has also developed substantially.
One of the major responsibilities of our Society is to ensure that these advances in medicine reach patients throughout Japan, regardless of geographic region or medical institution. As breast cancer care becomes increasingly sophisticated, high-quality multidisciplinary care is also essential. We will therefore further promote collaboration among physicians, nurses, pharmacists, radiologic technologists, clinical laboratory technologists, genetic counselors, and other healthcare professionals.
As President, I will focus particularly on the following five priorities.
1. Further advancing patient-centered care
We will promote comprehensive support that goes beyond treatment outcomes to encompass quality of life (QOL), employment support, appearance care, fertility preservation, and survivorship. To ensure that patients receive support from all these perspectives, we will further strengthen the multidisciplinary team-based approach described above.
2. Establishing a system that ensures access to high-quality breast cancer care throughout Japan
We will work to reduce regional disparities by further enhancing clinical practice guidelines and educational systems. A robust specialist certification system is essential to maintaining and advancing high-quality breast cancer care for future generations. We will continue to develop our specialist certification system in response to the changing needs of the times, while strengthening education not only for specialists but also for young physicians and other healthcare professionals. Our goal is to establish a system that ensures equitable access to high-quality breast cancer care throughout Japan.
3. Generating evidence from Japan that can change breast cancer care worldwide
Building on the high standard of breast cancer care in Japan, we will deepen collaboration with our colleagues across Asia and promote high-quality clinical and basic research capable of changing breast cancer practice worldwide. In particular, we aim to initiate investigator-initiated clinical trials focusing primarily on surgical treatment, generate new evidence from Japan, and open new frontiers in breast cancer care for the next generation.
4. Developing the next generation of breast cancer professionals
We will create an environment in which medical students, residents, young physicians, and other healthcare professionals can discover the rewards of breast cancer care and actively participate in the activities of our Society. We will respect innovative thinking and foster a Society in which younger generations can take active roles. We will also promote greater use of English at our scientific meetings to nurture professionals who can contribute internationally.
5. Strengthening collaboration with related societies and organizations
In areas such as risk-reducing surgery for individuals with pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants, breast reconstruction, and oncoplastic breast surgery, we will work closely with the Japanese Organization of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (JOHBOC) and the Japan Oncoplastic Breast Surgery Society to further expand access and improve the quality of care. We will also strengthen collaboration with relevant societies in preventive medicine and diagnostic imaging.
The JBCS is expected to play an important role in generating evidence from Japan and Asia that can change breast cancer care worldwide. To fulfill this responsibility, we will continue to create new value and take on new challenges across all areas of research, education, clinical practice, and international collaboration.
Achieving this vision will require the collective efforts not only of our Board members and Councilors but of all JBCS members throughout Japan. I firmly believe that the knowledge, experience, and passion of each individual member constitute the strength of our Society and will serve as the driving force for the continued advancement of breast cancer care in Japan.
Together, I hope that we can further develop the JBCS into a Society that earns even greater trust from patients, society, and our members, while opening new frontiers in breast cancer care for the next generation.
I sincerely appreciate your continued guidance, support, and cooperation.