Thoracic Oncology

Staff

Chief Toshiaki Takahashi, M.D., Ph.D.	Senior Staff (Researcher) Ryo Ko, M.D., Ph.D.	Senior Staff Kazushige Wakuda, M.D., Ph.D.	Senior Staff Haruki Kobayashi, M.D., Ph.D.	Senior Staff (Researcher) Nobuaki Mamesaya, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Staff, Also Serving as Chief of the Division of Early Clinical Development Haruyasu Murakami, M.D., Ph.D.	Senior Staff, Also Serving as Manager of the Supportive Therapy Center Tateaki Naito, M.D., Ph.D.	Senior Staff (Researcher) Hirotsugu Kenmotsu, M.D., Ph.D.	Senior Staff (Researcher) Akira Ono, M.D., Ph.D.	Hiroaki Kodama, M.D.

Keita Miura, M.D.	Chief Resident Michitoshi Yabe, M.D.	Chief Resident Toshiya Fujisaki, M.D., Ph.D.	Resident Suguru Matsuda, M.D.	Resident Motoki Sekikawa, M.D.
Resident Meiko Morita, M.D.	Resident Haruka Hamada, M.D.

Features of Thoracic Oncology

Lung cancer is ranked as the No. 1 cause of death for men and the No.2 for women in Japan, and the rates seem to be getting higher from now on. Cancers in respiratory organs including not only lung cancer but also neoplastic lesions in lung, throat, and bronchus, as well as mediastinal tumor, chest wall tumor and pleural tumor are all treated by surgery, anti-cancer drug therapy (chemotherapy) and radiation therapy. Among them, the Division of Thoracic Oncology deals with treatments with anti-cancer drugs. Other than treating cancer itself, the Division also covers supportive therapy which is to relieve side effects coming along with cancer treatments, and palliative care which is to subdue pains caused by tumor masses. In addition, it is also a responsibility of the Division to take care of the cancer patients with chronic respiratory diseases, and to provide treatments for complications in respiratory organs arisen along the way of cancer treatments.

Features and Therapeutic Strategies of the Division at the SCC

Experts of chemotherapy in respiratory organs are here to provide cancer treatments.

Diagnosis and therapeutic plan for each patient are decided at the joint conference with the Divisions of Thoracic Surgery, Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Therapy. At the Division of Thoracic Oncology, comprehensive treatment focusing on anti-cancer drug therapy (chemotherapy) and chemoradiation therapy for advanced lung cancer, as well as palliative care to subdue pains, are provided. The physicians working here are all specialists of cancers in respiratory organs.

The latest cancer therapy is offered as part of clinical trials.

For chemotherapy for lung cancer, “personalized medicine,” which is to customize anti-cancer drug therapy depending on genetic type of tumor cell or cancer type, has been established and has improved the treatment outcomes dramatically. At the Division of Thoracic Oncology at the SCC, in order to make even further improvements, and to offer the patients the latest cancer treatments, participation in clinical trials involving novel drugs is highly encouraged.

Supportive therapy against side effects is being provided here.

Side effects vary depending on each patient. Also, their frequencies and severities are various due to many reasons including types and doses of drugs, or ages and conditions of the patients. How well the side effects are controlled is essential for any anti-cancer drug treatments. There are prevention measures for side effects foreseen to happen frequently. And for others, when and how frequent they appear will be carefully evaluated and taken care of accordingly, for each case.
In recent years, side effects have been diversified due to the development of new anti-cancer drugs. They include skin disorders, eye disorders, mouth ulcers and hypertension, which sometimes go beyond what can be done at the Division. For those difficult cases, multidisciplinary teams involving specialists at the Divisions of Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Oral Surgery and Cardiology, certified nurses for chemotherapy, pharmacists, etc. will be formed to tackle them.

Palliative care is also provided.

At this Division, palliative care to ease unbearable symptoms including difficulty in breathing and pains is willingly provided. Even for advanced cases, which can’t be treated by surgeries, optimal treatments make it possible these days that the patients live longer in better conditions than before.

A Word from the Division Staff

At the Division of Thoracic Oncology, we provide internal cancer treatments, which require highly advanced expertise. Moreover, we are also responsible for taking care of general conditions of the patients comprehensively. As we take care of various respiratory disorders including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and such allergic disorders as bronchial asthma, which can be detected as comorbidities of cancers, as well as pneumothorax and interstitial pulmonary disease (drug-induced or radiation-induced pulmonary disorder) as complications, patients with chronic diseases or aged patients can feel at ease for their cancer treatments here.

Fields of Expertise, Professional Memberships and Credentials

Toshiaki Takahashi, M.D., Ph.D., Chief

Fields of Expertise

chemotherapy for pulmonary cancer

clinical oncology

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Interim Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology

Certified Physician and Specialist, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine

Specialist and Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society

Specialist and Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy

The Japan Lung Cancer Society

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

Ryo Ko, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Staff

Fields of Expertise

chemotherapy for pulmonary cancer

clinical oncology

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
The Japanese Respiratory Society
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology

Kazushige Wakuda, M.D., Senior Staff

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician and Specialist, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine

Specialist Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society
Specialist Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

General Clinical Oncologist Certified by the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy

Haruki Kobayashi, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Staff

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician and Specialist, Certified by the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Specialist Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society
Specialist Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
Specialist Certified by the Japanese Society of Allergology

Certified Doctor, the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacteriosis

General Clinical Oncologist Certified by the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy

Nobuaki Mamesaya, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Staff (Researcher)

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Specialist Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society
Specialist Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy

Cancer Chemotherapy Specialist and Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology

The Japan Lung Cancer Society
The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases

Haruyasu Murakami, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Staff, Also Serving as Chief of the Division of Early Clinical Development

Fields of Expertise

chemotherapy for pulmonary cancer
clinical oncology

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician and Specialist, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology
Specialist and Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society
The Japanese Cancer Association
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
The Japan Society of Clinical Oncology

General Clinical Oncologist Certified by the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

Tateaki Naito, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Staff, Also Serving as Manager of the Supportive Therapy Center

Fields of Expertise

chemotherapy for pulmonary cancer
clinical oncology

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Editorial Committee Member, the Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing

Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Specialist Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society

General Clinical Oncologist Certified by the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy

The Japanese Association of Supportive Care in Cancer

Vice-Chair of the Nutrition and Cachexia Study Group, the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC)

The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

Hirotsugu Kenmotsu, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Staff (Researcher)

Fields of Expertise

chemotherapy for pulmonary cancer

clinical oncology

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine

Specialist and Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society

Cancer Chemotherapy Specialist and Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology

The Japanese Cancer Association

The Japan Lung Cancer Society

Specialist and Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy

Specialist Certified by the Japanese Society of Allergology

General Clinical Oncologist Certified by the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

Akira Ono, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Staff (Researcher)

Fields of Expertise

chemotherapy for pulmonary cancer

clinical oncology

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine

Cancer Chemotherapy Specialist and Supervisory Doctor Certified by the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology

The Japanese Association for Medical Artificial Intelligence
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

Hiroaki Kodama, M.D.

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine

Specialist Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society
Specialist Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

Keita Miura, M.D.

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine

The Japanese Respiratory Society
Specialist Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

General Clinical Oncologist Certified by the Japanese Board of Cancer Therapy

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

Michitoshi Yabe, M.D., Chief Resident

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Specialist Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society
Specialist Certified by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

Toshiya Fujisaki, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Resident

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Certified Physician, the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
The Japanese Respiratory Society
The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

Suguru Matsuda, M.D., Resident

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
The Japanese Respiratory Society
The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

Motoki Sekikawa, M.D., Resident

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Specialist Certified by the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Specialist Certified by the Japanese Respiratory Society
The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

Meiko Morita, M.D., Resident

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

Specialist Certified by the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
The Japanese Respiratory Society
The Japan Lung Cancer Society

Haruka Hamada, M.D., Resident

Fields of Expertise

respiratory medicine

Professional Memberships and Credentials

The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
The Japanese Respiratory Society
The Japan Lung Cancer Society