Authors
Hiroko Masuda, Takaaki Konishi, Mai Onishi, Aki Ito, Kazunoshin Tachibana, Akari Murakami, Atsushi Fushimi, Ryota Otsubo, Haruru Kotani, Yuri Kimura, Yuka Inoue, Yukinori Ozaki, Kaori Tane, Tsutomu Iwasa, Yuko Takahashi, Yuko Kanemoto, Yurika Iida, Chiaki Kudo, Sayuka Nakayama, Takahiro Suzuki, Midori Morita, Riko Sato, Masafumi Iida, Akihiko Ozaki, Mai Kitazawa, Masafumi Inokuchi, Chikako Yamauchi, Takanobu Ishida, Norikazu Masuda, Masakazu Toi
Published in
Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan). Jul 17, 2026. Epub Jul 17, 2026.
Abstract
Although the incidence of breast cancer is increasing rapidly in Japan, the number of specialized physicians remains insufficient, threatening the sustainability and geographic equity of care delivery. This growing mismatch between clinical demand and workforce capacity reflects not only numerical shortages, but also structural weaknesses in training, retention, and career development pathways. To address these workforce challenges, the Japanese Breast Cancer Society launched the Multi Institutional bReast cAncer Young team No.1 (MIRAY1) as a youth-driven, society-endorsed initiative focused on recruitment, education, and career development of future breast cancer specialists. MIRAY1 employs an innovative matrix structure where members belong to both one of six task groups and one of seven regional divisions. Each task group is designed to address specific challenges identified in the current breast cancer workforce pipeline; for example, limited early exposure, attrition during early and mid-career stages, and declining international mobility. Early activities have demonstrated high engagement among medical students and young physicians through hands-on education, digital communication, and peer-led networking. MIRAY1 represents a potentially sustainable workforce development model not only for Japan but also for other Asian countries facing similar challenges in oncology care.
PMID:
42467393
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 17 Jul 2026.
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