Thank you for visiting the website of the 10th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (#JASCC25). The 10th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association of Supportive Care in Cancer will be held on May 17-18 2025 at Wakayama-Jo Hall & Wakayama Medical University Fukko Campus, Wakayama, Japan.

The Japanese Association of Supportive Care in Cancer was established in February 2015 and this Wakayama Congress will be its 10th annual meeting. In addition, the Association itself will have a new structure from 20 May 2024, and I have been appointed as the third President of the Association. Therefore, the Wakayama Congress will be a major milestone both as an annual meeting and as an association.

Cancer treatment can be divided into so-called active treatment such as surgery, radiation and drugs, and palliative medicine and supportive care. This is also clear from the fact that it is stated in the section on the provision system of cancer treatment of the Fourth Basic Plan for the Promotion of Cancer Control, which was approved by the Cabinet in March 2023, as (iii) surgical therapy, radiotherapy and drug therapy, (vii) promotion of palliative care from the time cancer is diagnosed, and also (viii) promotion of supportive care.

The Association is the only one in Japan dedicated to supportive care in a multi-professional environment. Its membership consists of approximately equal numbers of physicians and non-physicians, which we consider to be a unique feature and strength of the Association. The number of members has increased to around 1,500 in the last 10 years, and the number of participants at our annual meetings has exceeded 1,000 at the 9th meeting.

Although the Association is developing steadily, it is still small in size and its foundation is still fragile compared to the other basic cancer clinical societies, such as the Japan Society of Clinical Oncology, the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology and the Japanese Society for Palliative Medicine. In order to further improve supportive care in Japan, the further development of this Association is necessary, and a successful congress is essential for this.

The theme of the Wakayama Congress is ‘Towards the best cancer supportive care: beyond evidence’ in view of the fact that this is an area where there is still little evidence, and it is therefore necessary to disseminate the latest medical treatment beyond the evidence. As in the past, we will collect a diverse and attractive program from 17 study groups, 11 working groups and program committee members to realize it. We are also planning a symposium with national and local governments and international speakers to discuss the state of supportive care in the region. Naturally, there will also be a session on patient collaboration. In addition, in order to disseminate information internationally, we will organize joint events with the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and the Korean Academy for Supportive Care in Cancer. Centered on these, in addition to a rich program consisting of latest research reports on supportive care in cancer, symposia, case studies, workshops, panel discussions and special projects, educational and training sessions are planned that will lead to practice in the field of supportive care in cancer.

The conference will also actively disseminate information via social media. If you use Facebook, X (Twitter) or Instagram, please follow us or register.

We would like to ask for the support of all JASCC committees, study groups and working groups with a wide range of themes, as well as all members of the Association, and we sincerely look forward to meeting with many of you in Wakayama.