We are pleased to announce that the 64th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Clinical Oncology (JSCO) will be held at the Kobe Convention Center, from October 22nd (Thu) to 24th (Sat), 2026. We are deeply honored to host this historic and distinguished conference, and wish to express our sincere gratitude to President Yoshino, the Society's directors, delegates, and members for their support.

This will be the first time since the 52nd Annual Meeting in Yokohama in 2014—organized by Professor Seiichi Takenoshita, former professor of the Department of Organ Regulatory Surgery—that Fukushima Medical University will host the JSCO Annual Meeting. Our department, together with Fukushima Medical University is committed to ensuring the satisfaction of all attendees.

Recent advances in fields such as cancer genomics, cancer immunotherapy, robotic-assisted surgery, and artificial intelligence have steadily improved cancer treatment outcomes. In particular, our field of gastroenterological surgery is witnessing a once-in-30-years revolution, with robotic-assisted surgery and immunotherapy now playing key roles in clinical practice.

Therefore, we have chosen "One Team to Conquer Cancer" as the theme of our 64th Annual Meeting—in the spirit of uniting all specialists, including clinicians, researchers, medical staff and all those dedicated to improving cancer care, in the shared mission of overcoming this formidable disease.

JSCO, Japan's largest cancer-related society with 17,000 members, is distinguished by its interdisciplinary and interprofessional character. Through this annual meeting, we hope to provide a forum for everyone involved in cancer, from cancer specialists to patients, to deepen their understanding of cancer and to engage in a variety of strategies aimed at conquering it.

Under the motto of "Mastering Academic Surgery," our department is actively engaged in translational research (TR) focused on cancer immunology and genomics, alongside advanced training in surgical techniques. Accordingly, at the 64th Annual Meeting, we are preparing special programs centered around TR and the next stage of standardization, featuring topics such as "Photoimmunotherapy," "The Next Step in ICI Treatment," "ctDNA-Guided Follow-Up," and "Biomarkers Using Genomic Information," all of which closely reflect real clinical practice.

We also plan to present an array of engaging sessions, including 39 organ-specific sessions, 33 interdisciplinary sessions, and the "JSCO Frontier" initiative, which will disseminate cutting-edge cancer research from Japan to the world. Furthermore, as a culmination of my four years as Chair of the JSCO International Committee, we will co-host the 6th Annual Meeting of the Asian Oncology Society (AOS) at JSCO2026 and organize a JSCO/ASCO/ESMO/AOS joint session featuring global opinion leaders from ASCO and ESMO to deliver fruitful international sessions.

Finally, we plan to offer ingenious programs and warm hospitality that will allow you to fully experience the charms of "Fukushima — the Island of Fortune, in Full Bloom," even while in Kobe. We are preparing an exhibition of Fukushima products at the exhibition venue and a social gathering highlighting the region’s unique flavors.

We sincerely hope that many members will join us for the 64th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Clinical Oncology (JSCO) and we look forward to welcoming you all to Kobe.