The Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing was established in 1987 in order to develop and improve practice, education and research regarding cancer nursing, with the Society possessing a membership of 3,090 as of April 1, 2007. The Society welcomed its 20th anniversary in 2006, having experienced significant growth over this period.

In May 1996, Japan’s first four Oncology Certified Nurse Specialists, long awaited by the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing, were authorized. In September in the same year, the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing received formal approval to officially register as an academic society by the Science Council of Japan during its 17th term. With the increased number of research papers being submitted, the Journal of the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing publishes twice a year and has done so since 1998. Five years later in 2003, the Society’s inaugural International Conference was successfully held. Through requests from the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing, the fields of Pain Management, Chemotherapy and Breast Cancer Care were established in the program for Certified Expert Nurses (CEN) in order to promote the training of qualified nurses specializing in cancer nursing. The Society’s Internet homepage was established in 2004, while in 2006 a number of Special Interest Groups (SIG) were formed as official bodies of the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing so as to further facilitate the excellent social advances that this Society has helped foster to date.

One key activity of the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing is its holding of an annual academic conference, which had as its inaugural theme “Specialist roles of nurses in cancer nursing – current conditions and future prospects” while the more recent 21st conference had the theme of “Empowerment & Harmony – the circle of people who support cancer patients”, thus reflecting the constant progress underpinning the dedication of our cancer nursing specialists. The number of presentations at each conference regularly exceeds 200, with more than 2,500 participants coming together from all over Japan to enthusiastically participate in a series of active discussion groups.

Among various committee activities, the Editing Committee has adopted a strict review system and is wholly responsible for issuing the Journal of the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing twice a year. The Education & Research Activities Committee holds advanced seminars responding to the needs of Society members through organizing and holding training seminars for conference participants. The Committee also conducts surveys and performs preparatory activities in order to recognize appropriate fields for Certified Expert Nurses. The Committee is currently working towards establishing Cancer Radiotherapy as a field for Certified Expert Nurses. The Special Interest Group Committee compromises of a broad membership heralding from 14 different fields of interest and is both enthusiastic and active. The Committee on Membership and Bylaws is tasked with reviewing the qualifications and procedures for membership as well as reviewing the Society’s bylaws; it is also responsible for managing and updating the Society’s Internet homepage. The International Activity Committee is busily working toward strengthening our partnership with Metro-Minnesota and our ties with the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC).

In February 2007, the 2nd International Conference, titled “Cancer Nursing in the 21st Century: Empowerment and Harmony” was held in conjunction with the 21st Annual Conference of the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing at the Tokyo International Forum. The conference was an outstanding success, with 91 presentations from 9 countries from around the world and was attended by close to 800 participants.

Cancer treatment in Japan has developed remarkably due to significant advances in science and technology and increasingly more sophisticated medical treatment. The state of cancer nursing practice is also constantly adapting in response to progress in medical care and changes in awareness by people, thus undergoing continual dynamic change in order to meet modern day needs. In particular, as a result of the passing of the Basic Law on Cancer Countermeasures in 2006 (coming into force on April 1, 2007), we believe that the duties and various roles conducted by the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing will only see further increase from hereon in.

As can be seen by recent themes in the Society’s keynote addresses and symposiums, the Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing is constantly shifting its gaze from present to future issues concerning cancer nursing, and promoting progress in the practice, training and research of cancer nursing. The Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing aims to continue to provide opportunities for lifelong professional development and study, and in unison with all our members, to positively engage in activities for the development and improvement of cancer nursing.

Japanese Society of Cancer Nursing (JSCN)
Secretariat: School of Nursing, Hyogo University of Health Sciences,
1-3-6 Minatojima, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo, 650-8530, Japan

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