BMJ SPC Forum, in partnership with the International Research Society of the Sapporo Conference, Japan, co-publishes its seasonal Newsletter in the BMJ SPC Forum
The following is from the Summer issue of the International Research Society of the Sapporo Conference for Palliative and Supportive Care in Cancer Newsletter that was published in July 2024 for IRS-SCPSC members. To view the full newsletter, please click this link
Message from the President
Kunihiko Ishitani
President of The International Research Society of the SCPSC
President, Higashi Sapporo Hospital
My warmest thanks to BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care (BMJ SPCare)!
−On finishing my terms as Associate Editor and Asian Editor−
About 6 years ago, in 2018, I unexpectedly received an email from Declan Walsh, Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of BMJ SPCare, inviting me to become an Associate Editor (AE). The term of the appointment was three years, and the position could not be held in conjunction with that of an editor at another journal. I was asked to respond to the request by August 31st, including my resume if I accepted. It was a real bolt from the blue. I had had some experience with reviewing papers, but I had no idea what the AE position entailed. Moreover, this was a request from a journal affiliated with BMJ, one of the world’s four major medical journals. However, I mustered up my courage and responded that I would accept the invitation.
Few of the AEs associated with the four major medical journals are based in Asia, and this was just the second case involving a Japanese doctor. I had just completed the various procedures and struggled to come to grips with Scholar One Manuscripts (a system for managing submissions and peer reviews in global academic journals), when I received a request to review the first manuscript in September. The manuscript dealt with education in palliative care. Fortunately, this was an area of interest to me, so selecting reviewers was relatively easy. I submitted the results of the peer review by multiple reviewers along with my opinion as an AE as to whether the paper should be accepted or rejected to Dr. Walsh, the EiC. Thereafter, requests for reviews began to come in one after another. Over the three years to August 2021, I reviewed a total of 148 manuscripts, covering a very wide range of subjects, from general palliative care to psycho-oncology, medical oncology and surgery, medical sociology, philosophy and ethics, and occasionally, religion. I learned a great deal from the review process, and I would like to express my gratitude to the BMJ SPCare and Dr. Walsh for the opportunity to take on this work. I also received help from many friends during the review process. However, as the number of reviews requested was large and the range of subjects broad, I read through the most recent papers published on the topic at hand and directly asked the corresponding authors of the best papers to review them, regardless of not having met them personally. It has been customary for relatively young researchers to be selected for peer review. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, young medical professionals became very busy and was difficult to select reviewers. Through this process, I was able to build strong relationships with the reviewers, and I remain in contact with them today. This is the second thing for which I am grateful.
Manuscripts were submitted from all over the world, excluding Russia. Generally, research on similar themes in different countries or regions is discouraged unless it can become a universal model applicable globally. My wish is for great importance to be placed on fundamental papers in the natural sciences and humanities. I believe that Dr. Walsh and BMJ SPCare share this notion. Since 2014, I have been organizing the Sapporo Conference for Palliative and Supportive Care in Cancer (SCPSC). It is also known as the “Olympics of palliative care research,” and is recognized worldwide as a place where many prominent researchers discuss the latest topics in a non-competitive manner. We have also been given permission to make BMJ SPCare the official journal of SCPSC. This is the third and greatest thing for which I would like to express my deepest gratitude.
My wife was happy that my three-year term as AE ended in August 2021, as she was somewhat concerned with my lack of sleep. Dr. Walsh tried to persuade me to stay, but I told him it would be difficult to change my mind, and he said he would consider a different position. The following April in 2022, he asked me to return as Asian editor. The term of my appointment was for two years, until May 8 2024, and I was in charge of consulting on the future of the BMJ SPCare and reviewing eight manuscripts. Further, the SCPSC newsletter has been posted on the BMJ SPCare forum on a fairly regular basis. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the BMJ SPCare Headquarters, Dr. Walsh, and the BMJ SPCare Blog editorial team. My six-year relationship with BMJ SPCare has been the culmination of my “life in cancer palliative care.” I look forward to building and maintaining this relationship as it continues to grow.
Also of interest and from our newsletter:
Introducing some ground-breaking medical research papers
JAMA Oncology January 4, 2024
Immunotherapy Initiation at the End of Life in Patients with Metastatic Cancer in the US
Daniel M. Kerekes. MD. MHS et al
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2813581
PAIN 165(4):725-726, April 2024
Immunotherapy, a new approach for the treatment of human pain
Diana J. Goode
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003107
Journal of Clinical Oncology May15, 2024
Palliative Care for Patients With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update
Justin J. Sanders. MD.MSc et al
https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.24.00542
JAMA June 2, 2024
Stepped Palliative Care for Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer A Randomized Clinical Trial
Jennifer S. Temel. MD et al
jama.doi:10.1001/jama.2024
ESMO OPEN June 2024
Communication and support of patients and caregivers in chronic cancer care: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline
Friedrich Stiefel MD et al
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.103496
Welcoming our latest addition to the Board of Directors of the International Research Society of the Sapporo Conference:
Daisuke Takahari
Professor, Medical Oncology Clinical Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Graduate School of Medicine / School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine,Gunma University
Chairman of Tumor Center, Cancer Genome Center and Palliative care Center. Gunma University Hospital
Members News
・Introduction to Prof.Frank Brescia’s Latest Medical Book
As Good As It Gets: The Evolving Thoughts of a Deathwatcher – 11 June 2024 by Frank J Brescia (Author)
・February 15, 2024. The New Year issue of the SCPSC Newsletter was published on the BMJSPCare Blog. BMJ SPCare (Please click)
・May13, 2024. The Spring issue of the SCPSC Newsletter was published on the BMJSPCare Blog. BMJ SPCare (Please click)
Feature article
EAPC 2024 13th World Research Congress (13th Research Conference of the European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) ) 〜 A conversation with Dr. Ishitani on his participation in the 13th World Research Congress of the EAPC.
Dr. Kunihiko Ishitani, the president of our society, participated in the EAPC World Research Congress which, unlike the annual EAPC World Congress, is held every two years. This year’s 13th conference was held in Barcelona, and various important topics were discussed over four days from May 16th 2024 (a pre-meeting was held on the 15th) to the 18th.
According to Dr. Ishitani, the World Congress sometimes attracts as many as several thousand participants and has something of a festival-like atmosphere. However, this year’s international research conference was limited to 1,000 people, while the 11th and 12th conferences were held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At the 2018 World Research Congress in Bern, Dr. Ishitani was able to attend with his close friend, Prof. Stiefel from Switzerland, and had the opportunity to renew old friendships with his friends, Prof. Kaasa and Prof. Caraceni. At that time, Dr. Leblank was honoured with an award as a young researcher. The EAPC as a society, takes the initiative in promoting palliative care around the world, and Dr. Ishitani is a member of this society.
(Please continue here SCPSC Newsletter Summer 2024)
“Memorable Meaningful Moments with Dr. Kunihiko Ishitani”
(Please continue here SCPSC Newsletter Summer 2024)
Declaration of interests
I have read and understood the BMJ Group policy on declaration of interests and declare the following interests: none.