Greeting of the President Appointment

I would like to express my appreciation and aspirations for the future of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (JSPHO) following my inauguration as President on June 27, 2020. Despite the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, we will do our best to fulfil the mission of JSPHO with Vice-Presidents Akihiro Yoneda and Junko Takita, along with our councilors and all members of the JSPHO for the sake of the children around the world.

The JSPHO was established in 2011 following the integration of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology (JSPH; established in 1960) and the Japanese Society of Pediatric Oncology (JSPO; established in 1985) for the development of medicine and medical services for infants and children with blood diseases or solid tumors. The former presidents Professors Ishii E, Horibe K, Hiyama E and Hosoi H established and expanded the basis of JSPHO to include medical research, practice and education. At present, the number of JSPHO members exceeds 2000, including doctors, nurses and medical staff. We are responsible for leading research and practice in the fields of pediatric hematology and oncology in Japan. The JSPHO is expected to standardize the medical care and systems and to promote both the research and medical outcomes of patients worldwide. We believe that expanding the focus of the JSPHO will improve the lives of pediatric patients in the future.

Leukemia, neuroblastoma, bone marrow failure, immune defects and hemophilia were all representative fatal and/or incurable diseases in childhood at the start of my residency. Now, a cure or control has been achieved for most of these diseases in Japan, as many founders of JSPHO made great efforts to start and continue research into controlling these serious diseases, even beyond their specialties. However, many patients still await novel treatments for brain tumors and rare, intractable diseases. Pediatric patients and their families are looking forward to the advent of personalized medicine from stratified protocols in the era of cellular and molecular therapy based on the multiomics-real world. We must aim for success in treating pediatric patients with hematological disorders and cancer while considering not only the art and science of such efforts but also the associated ethical, social and economic issues. The style of our annual meeting may have to be modified this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The JSPHO is expected to establish a sustainable and evolving system beyond COVID-19 for improving regional care as well as for promoting global research in the fields of pediatric hematology and oncology. In the era of licensed clinical experts, we emphasize the necessity and attractiveness of basic science to young medical researchers because they are the driving force of current research and the dreams of the future. We encourage the hosting of both basic and practical seminars at the annual JSPHO meeting as well as in regional areas of Japan. We are also engaged in constructive discussions with executive branches of the government and business institutions from a transparent, neutral standpoint. Relevant new information as well as our views are prominently posted on our website, where patients, their families and attending staff in Japan can easily view them.

The JSPHO was established with the goals of “communication, collaboration and corporation” for all pediatric patients with hematologic disorders and cancer. We appreciate your understanding and ongoing support. Thank you for your continued support and consideration.

The Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
President
Shouichi OHGA
Professor & Chairperson, Department of Pediatrics,
Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University