Background:
Japan has one of the world’s most rapidly aging populations, with over 29% aged 65 and older. Cancer remains the leading cause of death, highlighting the need for comprehensive, patient-centered cancer care. The Cancer Control Act (2007) and subsequent Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control have emphasized the importance of integrating psychosocial support into oncology. However, implementation gaps persist.
Objective:
This presentation analyzes the current status of psychosocial care for patients with cancer in Japan using a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) framework, proposing future strategies for improvement.
Methods:
A policy- and systems-level SWOT analysis was conducted using data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, academic literature, national cancer center publications, and expert consensus. Focus areas included: service coverage, professional training, regional disparities, reimbursement, public perception, and digital health infrastructure.
Results:
Strengths include the Universal Health Insurance ensuring access to medical services, inclusion of psychosocial care in the Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control Programs, establishment of Cancer Counseling and Support Centers nationwide, and growing interdisciplinary collaboration in designated cancer hospitals. Weaknesses include a limited number of trained psycho-oncology professionals, fragmentation between medical and psychosocial services, and persistent mental health stigma. Opportunities include the expansion of multidisciplinary cancer boards including psycho-oncology specialists, collaboration with cancer-related academic societies for training and guideline development, and leveraging digital health technologies. Threats include increasing cancer burden, workforce shortages, particularly in psychiatric and psychosocial care domains, and budgetary constraints and competing policy priorities within a super-aging society.
Conclusion:
Japan has made policy-level progress in integrating psychosocial care into oncology. However, challenges such as workforce capacity, clinical standardization, and stigma must be addressed. Key strategies include: establishing national treatment guidelines, expanding training programs for psycho-oncology professionals, promoting public education to normalize psychosocial care, and leveraging digital health technologies.