My name is Eishi Baba of Kyushu University, and I have been appointed as President of the 20th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO2023). I would like to start by expressing my deepest sympathies to all those who are suffering from the difficulties caused by natural disasters and conflicts around the world.
We are pleased to announce that the Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology will be held in a hybrid format at the Fukuoka International Congress Center and Marine Messe Fukuoka in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture on March 16-18, 2023.

The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO) was officially established as an academic society in 2004 and held its first Annual Meeting in Fukuoka, Japan, under the supervision of the Congress President Dr. Nobuhiko Kuwano. The following main issues were addressed: uniform accessibility of cancer care in Japan, promoting clinical research and eliminating drug lag, and training specialists in drug therapies for cancer. Having all of the participants taking part in spirited discussions in a large single venue, this meeting was truly the starting point for the JSMO. For the last 20 years, cancer treatment in Japan and worldwide has undergone remarkable changes, and the Annual Meeting has evolved with these developments.

For the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of this meeting, the theme “Cancer, Science and Life” is selected to reflect upon the progress that has been achieved. Science-based knowledge will facilitate advances in cancer treatment and help patients lead satisfying and rewarding lives. We hope to share and better understand this philosophy, which JSMO has always embraced, with the participants of this meeting.

To that end, we solicited abstracts on a wide range of topics, including clinical research that will change the practices of tomorrow, basic and translational research that will serve as the foundation for advances in cancer care, new findings based on careful observation of routine practice, and research that will strongly support patients’ lives, such as supportive and palliative care. As a result, 1,100 general abstracts were accepted for this meeting, including 292 abstracts from overseas. In addition, a total of 1,323 abstracts, including educational and corporate sponsored lectures, have been prepared, all of which are highly academically and clinically significant. Especially the 19 abstracts presented in the Presidential Session are being presented for the first time at JSMO instead of at major conferences overseas, so participants should look forward to this valuable information. Only the Presidential Session will be available to the international audience online at no charge, providing an opportunity to disseminate new evidence from the JSMO to the world.

Educational symposia will discuss the most noteworthy topics concerning individual or multiple organs with leading researchers from Japan and abroad in 29 sessions. These are made possible through the cooperation of the JSMO Scientific Program Committee, 53 Program committee members, and International committee members. There will also be 11 joint symposium sessions with other academic societies such as the ESMO and ASCO and 5 presidential symposium sessions covering a wide range of topics from the latest treatments to regulations on international clinical research, oncology cardiology, healthcare economics, and patient support. The educational lectures are well attended every year and feature a total of 34 sessions on introductory and applied topics.

In cooperation with the JSMO Secretariat, we have prepared a commemorative program and exhibition for the 20th Annual Meeting. Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo Institute of Technology, will deliver a commemorative lecture. Dr. Ohsumi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2016 for his elucidation of autophagy. Here, he will share his thoughts on basic research as well as the results of his research on autophagy, which is an essential part of cancer research. A special lecture will be given by Professor Shigeru Ban, an internationally renowned architect and professor at Keio University. He was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, which is the Nobel Prize in architecture, in 2014. He has designed a number of exceptional buildings and he also continues to support disaster-stricken areas around the world with buildings built from cardboard tubes, providing us with a new perspective on protecting people’s lives.

The Patient Advocate Program, which JSMO has been working on since the 9th Annual Meeting, will offer a 3-day basic and applied course for patients from all over Japan. This should give patients an opportunity to better understand the latest cancer care and the activities of the JSMO.

Although the COVID-19 situation is still in flux, we are fully prepared to hold the meeting in a hybrid format to control infection. We hope to see many of you in Fukuoka in March as spring begins to arrive. Your patience and kind support are greatly appreciated.