Cytotechnology training program in Japan

Abstract

In Japan, the history of cytotechnologists' training dates back to 1962, when the late Dr. K. Masubuchi and the late Dr. J. Mizuno took the initiative of holding meetings of the Societyof Cytotechnology, an organization composed primarily of gynecologists that was in existence before the Japanese Society of Clinical Cytology (JSCC) came to be established. In 1965, the Japanese Association for Maternal Welfare (JAMW) shifted the theme of its campaign from “Protect Women from the Hazards of Artifical Abortion”, to “Protect Women from Cancer”. As an activity to promote this new campaign, the association began group checks for uterine cancer using cytodiagnosis. Under these circumstances, it became an urgent need to cultivate an adequate number of cytodiagnostic technologists (cytotechnologists) capable of performing accurate screening. In 1966, a cytotechnologists' training course (3 weeks) was sponsored jointly by the Japanese Society of Clinical Pathology and the JSCC. In 1968, six-month cytotechnologists' training courses began to be offered at the Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research (JFCR Hospital) and at the Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases. Later, in 1978, the Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer Detection Center (currently known as the Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Cancer Detection Center) adopted the training program started by the JFCR Hospital. The training program sponsored by the JFCR Hospital and Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Cancer Detection Center was initially called “Cytodiagnostic Screener Training School”, to be later renamed as “Cytotechnologist Training School”. The program offered by the Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases was initially called “Cytodiagnostic Screener Training Course”, to be later renamed in 1997 as “Cytotechnologist Training Course”. In 1982, a 4-year university course of cytotechnology was offered for the first time by Kyorin University School of Health Science. From 1985 through 1992, cytotechnology taining was offered at Fujita Health University College, within the framework of the hygiene technology course. In 1994, the cytotechnology course began to be offered at Kitasato University School of Allied Health Sciences. In 1999, Gunma University Faculty of Medicine opened a cytotechnology course in its School of Health Science for the first time among national universities. In 2001, another national university bagan to offer a similar course in Facalty of Health Science, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine. More 4-year university training courses for cytotechnologists are expected to be offered in the near future.