2014 Volume 40 Issue 4 Pages 402-405
We investigated the present situation and future prospects for training specialists in head and neck cancer from the viewpoint of oral and maxillofacial surgeons. The system for clinical oral oncology specialists was really established and started in 2012 based on the Japan Society for Oral Tumors. This system mainly consisted of three required steps: the specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery for the first step, the general clinical oncologist for the second step and the specialist in clinical oral oncology for the third (final) step. We expect this system will greatly contribute to guarantee and raise the quantitative levels of general clinical oncologists and specialists in oral and maxillofacial surgery, who will treat oral cancer as a subspecialty. Moreover, this system will also contribute to train specialists and increase the number of them who are highly motivated for oral cancer treatment.
