Abstract
In accordance to the recently established Second Master Plan for Promoting Cancer Measures, the April 2009 resolution of the Subcommittee on Regional Alliances in Shiga Conference for Cooperative Cancer Therapy, were reviewed. The subcommittee completed the prefectural liaison critical paths for the Five Big Cancers after 1 year's discussion and put into practice in April, 2010. The main contributors were the members of the Shiga Liaison Council of Cancer Patients, the Shiga Prefectural Medical Association and the Base Hospitals for Cooperative Cancer Therapy. Then, prefectural workshop has been held twice a year and study meetings regularly in each medical service area, aiming to educate the critical paths. 448 paths have been registered and applied (196 for stomach, 222 for colon, 19 for breast, 4 for liver and 7 for lung cancers) by March, 2013, when the First Master Plan terminated. As of the end of November, 2013, the registered critical paths have amounted to 602 (252 for stomach, 305 for colon, 25 for breast, 4 for liver, 9 for lung and 7 for prostate cancers). While there have been wide differences in registration among the Five Big Cancers, the cause of the difference was supposed to be various and unique to each cancer. Rise of registered number of the critical paths, workshop and study meetings, distribution of the pamphlets and simplification of cooperative process altogether have been assumed to enrich the liaison network of cancer therapy. However, it is now clear that there are unavoidable differences among medical service areas and among individual institutions in terms of regional alliances. Our future issues now are to fortify and reconstruct the existing liaison network of cancer therapy, accepting differences in human and material resources as they are, and managing efficient role-sharing of medical cooperation.
