18TH US-JAPAN JOINT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

Osaka University Medical School
June 30-July 1, 1995

MINUTES
The 18th Joint US-Japan Steering Committee on Cancer Research met on June 30 and July 1, 1995, at the University of Osaka Medical School in Japan. In attendance were Drs. T. Hamaoka, S. Miwa, M. Ogawa, H. Sugano, T. Sugimura, and Messrs. Oakada and Ohkubo, for Japan; and Drs. M. Friedman, T. Kakefuda, S. Thorgeirsson, and F. Welsch, for the United States. The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Drs. Miwa and Welsch. They congratulated those present for the success of the joint workshops and scientist exchange programs.
Dr. Friedman stated that a major change had occurred in the political horizon of the U.S. President Clinton in 1993 had Introduced the concept of reinventing government. That meant cutting some 270,000 employees from the work force while making government more responsive to the people and increasing government’s efficiency. In November 1994 a Republican Congress had been elected, with a mandate to balance the U.S. budget. And, shortly, a new NCI Director would be appointed. He or she would not necessarily be interested in past bilateral relationships and will insist on evaluating each and all NCI program(s). Therefore, the Joint Steering Committee should start to address the questions of: What would be lost if the US-Japan cooperative program on cancer research were to be canceled? What are the benefits to each side? How is this program unique? Are workshops necessary? Is the scientist exchange program necessary? Is the NCI-JFCR exchange program necessary?
Dr. Welsch distributed copies of the two documents: l) “Establishing a more balanced relationship and increased collaboration between Japan and the U.S. in biomedical and behavioral research,” which Dr. P. Schambra, Director of the Fogarty International Center presented to his counterparts under the US-Japan Science and Technology agreement; and 2) a summary of the Bishop-Calabresi report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol. 87, no. 12, p. 877, June 21, 1995.
Dr. Hamaoka introduced the heads of the different programs at the Osaka Medical School. He mentioned that there were 18 basic science departments, that the clinical center had seen 2,314 cancer patients during 1994 -- 35 percent of them with gastrointestinal cancers -- and that affiliated to the school was the Osaka Biomedical Research Center -- six departments including Dr. Hamaoka’s oncogenesis department -- the Institute of Microbiology -- five divisions with three or four departments each -- and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology -- with six groups. The heads of major units made presentations of their institute’s activities.
Given that the progress report for 1994-95 had been distributed in written form, it was decided to spend little time reviewing the year’s progress. It was suggested that the US-Japan program emphasize more cancer prevention in the future. More time was spent reviewing the plans for 1995-96 (see Appendix I).
The meeting closed at 5:00 p.m. after remarks by Drs. Sugimura, Miwa, Friedman, and Welsch. The meeting was followed by a working dinner hosted by the JSPS. Discussions between the U.S. and Japan representatives continued July 1.

FUTURE PLANS
1995-1996

Planned Seminar and Exchange Scientists in the Etiology Program Area:
1. PLANNED SEMINARS

2. EXCHANGE OF SCIENTISTS

Planned Seminar and Exchange Scientists in the Biology and Diagnosis Program Area:
1. SEMINARS

2. EXCHANGE OF SCIENTISTS

Planned Seminar and Exchange Scientists in the Treatment Program Area:

1. SEMINARS

2. EXCHANGE Of SCIENTISTS

Planned Seminar and Exchange Scientists in the Interdisciplinary Program Area:
1. SEMINARS

2. EXCHANGE OF SCIENTISTS

18th JOINT US-JAPAN STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
Osaka, Japan, June 30-July 1, 1995

AGENDA

PARTICIPANTS

NCI Program Coordinators

Dr. Michael A. Friedman
Associate Director for Cancer Therapy
Evaluation Program
Division of Cancer Treatment

Dr. Snorri Thorgeirsson
Chief, Laboratory of Experimental
Carcinogenesis
Division of Cancer Etiology

JSPS Program Coordinators

Dr. Takashi Sugimura
President Emeritus
National Cancer Center

Dr. Toshiyuki Hamaoka
Dean and Professor
Osaka University School of Medicine

Dr. Makoto Ogawa
Director
Aichi Cancer Center Hospital

Dr. Hamo Sugano
Director Emeritus
Cancer Chemotherapy Center
Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research

NCI Representatives

Dr. Federico Welsch
Associate Director for
Internationl Affairs

Dr. Tsuyoshi Kakefuda
Executive Secretary
for US-Japan Cooperative
Cancer Research Program

JSPS Representatives

Dr. Shiro Miwa
Director

Mr. Kazuhiko Okada
Head
Research Cooperation Division

Mr. Masahiro Ohkubo
Section Head
Research Cooperation Division