Division and Department

Department of Thoracic Surgery

Message from the Professor


Kazuhiro IMAI, M.D, Ph.D.

Greeting and Expertise

I am Kazuhiro Imai, and I am honored to announce my appointment as the 4th Professor and Chairman of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, effective May 1, 2025. My primary expertise lies in thoracic surgery, with a particular focus on advanced robotic-assisted procedures.

Our department is a Multi-Specialty Surgery Team, integrating three distinct specialized fields: Thoracic Surgery, Esophageal Surgery, and Breast and Endocrine Surgery. This collaboration allows us to provide comprehensive, cross-organ care. Our mission is to cultivate surgeons who possess both a "generalist’s perspective"—viewing the patient as a whole—and "specialist excellence"—mastering sophisticated surgical techniques.

The Philosophy of "Hondo": Tradition and Innovation

A passage from the Analects of Confucius states: "The superior man bends his attention to what is radical (the root). That being established, all practical courses (the Way) naturally grow up." This implies that without a firm grasp of the basics, one cannot find the right path forward.

Inspired by this, the birthplace of Akita University’s School of Medicine was colloquially named "Hondo" (The Main Path). This term captures the very essence of surgery. Surgery shares many similarities with Kabuki, one of Japan's representative traditional performing arts. Despite evolving over 400 years, Kabuki has no single "official textbook." Its artistry has been passed down from master to disciple through oral tradition and practice.

The late Kabuki actor Kanzaburo Nakamura (who passed away in 2012) once said: "Only those who have mastered the 'Kata' (the fundamental form) can break it. Without the fundamentals, you are not 'breaking the mold'—you are simply formless." This underscores that teaching the "Hondo"—the fundamental path—is our most vital responsibility.

Facing the Future: The Akita Model

Akita Prefecture faces a stark reality: the population is projected to decline from 890,000 to 600,000 by 2045. As we head toward an aging rate of 50%, we are at the forefront of global demographic challenges. While the demand for local healthcare and nursing increases, we struggle with chronic shortages of medical professionals and the outflow of young doctors. To address this, Akita Prefecture’s surgical departments have united to enhance a comprehensive surgical training program.

Our Commitment to Every Generation

For the Future Generation: The "Grassroots Declaration" To the young surgeons who will lead our department: I promise to provide the best environment for self-growth. Inspired by the J-League (Japan Professional Football League), I hereby make a "Grassroots Declaration." We will strive to provide an environment where anyone, anytime, anywhere can enjoy their personal growth as a surgeon and continuously improve the quality of their craft.

For the Current Generation: Work-Life Integration As a member of a dual-career household myself, I have grown alongside my family's support. I wish to serve as a mentor to the increasing number of young surgeons in similar situations. Beyond the complexities of the job, I want you to enjoy your life as a surgeon. Life experiences—marriage, child-rearing, caring for elderly parents—add depth and grace to your professional conduct.

For the Senior Generation: The "Active One Team" I aim to promote the concept of the "Specialized Task" (Nomi-shigoto) role, where surgeons over 65 can continue to shine. Whether it is "Surgery only" to pass down technical expertise, "Outpatient only" to share diagnostic insight, or "Research only" to pass on the romantic pursuit of science—we are one team. My own surgical skills are at their peak when I am receiving guidance from my seniors.

Conclusion

The future of Akita that we are opening is one where everyone plays an active role. I am fully committed to building a "One Team" where every generation thrives and contributes to our community.

Staff

Professor:
Kazuhiro IMAI, M.D, Ph.D.

Lecturers:
Yusuke SATO, M.D, Ph.D.

Research Areas

  1. Our main aim of research is the analysis of cancer metastasis, especially cancer cell migration into endothelial cells. Research areas of our department consist of the following three groups:
  2. cell biology group, which treats cancer metastasis and acute inflammation,
  3. molecular biology group, which is studying lung and esophageal cancer malignancies and mechanisms of micrometastasis using clinical specimens obtained from surgery,
  4. physiology group analyzing the mechanisms of body reactions following surgical injury.
  5. medicine-engineering collaboration group has been developing a rapid immunohistochemistry (rapid-IHC) method that makes use of an alternating current (AC) electric field to facilitate the antigen-antibody reaction by stirring the diluted solution on the sections without a stirrer through recurrent transformation of the microdroplet’s shape. (AC mixing). The resultant AC mixing achieves more stable staining and accurate diagnosis/molecular analysis by increasing the opportunity for contact between the antigen and antibody, irrespective of the antibody type. This rapid-IHC technique enables prompt, stable detection of target cells within frozen sections and can provide a surgeon with an intraoperative diagnosis within 20 min, as opposed to the 3-6 h required for conventional IHC.

Contact Information

Medical Office Manager：Yushi NAGAKI, M.D, Ph.D.
1-1-1 Hondo, Akita, 010-8543 Japan
Phone: +81-18-834-6142
Fax: +81-18-836-2615
E-mail: nagaki@med.akita-u.ac.jp

Most Recent Achievements

  1. Atari M, Kawai H, Tokairin T. An extremely rare case of thymic squamous cell carcinoma complicated with B3 thymoma and myasthenia gravis: a case report. Surg Case Rep 10: 224, 2024.
  2. Demura R, Imai K, Takashima S, Kuriyama S, Suzuki H, Harata Y, Minamiya Y. A case of right middle lobectomy for primary lung cancer in a patient with heterotaxy syndrome. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Cases 3:52, 2024.
  3. Fujiwara Y, ･･･ Minamiya Y （10th），･･･ Tsuchiya N （16 authors in total）． Oncofetal IGF2BP3-mediated control of microRNA structural diversity in the malignancy of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 121:e2407016121, 2024.
  4. Hamrah MH, Kanda M, Sato Y. Expression profile and function of secretogranin V, and its effects on the malignant behavior of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Dis Esophagus 37:doae075, 2024
  5. Imai K, Takashima S, Kuriyama S, Demura R, Suzuki H, Harata Y, Fujibayashi T, Shibano S, Wakita A, Nagaki Y, Sato Y, Minamiya Y. Does clinical T1N0 GGN really require checking for distant metastasis during initial staging for lung cancer? Cancer Imaging 24:69, 2024.
  6. Kuriyama S, Imai K, Takashima S, Iwai H, Demura R, Suzuki H, Harata Y, Shibano S, Minamiya Y. Epithelial granuloma occurring on the staple-stump after segmentectomy for ovarian cancer lung metastasis. Thorac Cancer 15:1681 1684, 2024.
  7. Kuriyama S, Imai K, ･･･ Wakamatsu Y, Takashima S, Matsuo T, Iwai H, Demura R, Suzuki H, Harata Y, Shibano S, Wakita A, Sato Y （13th），･ ･ ･ Minamiya Y （15 authors in total）．Multiplex Intraoperative Rapid Immunohistochemistry with Noncontact Antibody Mixing for Distinguishing the Histologic Phenotype of Lung Cancer. Pathobiology 91:383-392, 2024.
  8. Nagaki Y, Motoyama S, Sato Y, Wakita A, Fujita H, Kemuriyama K, Sasamori R, Nozaki S, Nomura K, Minamiya Y. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy upregulates the immunogenicity of cold to hot tumors in esophageal cancer patients. Ann Surg Open 5:e385, 2024.
  9. Nozaki S, Sato Y, Wakita A, Nagaki Y, Sasamori R, Sasaki Y, Takahashi T, Minamiya Y. Pretreatment periodontitis is predictive of a poorer prognosis after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Esophagus 21:120-130, 2024.
  10. Okamura A, Watanabe M, Okui J, Kuriyama K, Sato Y. Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in patients with a history of total pharyngolaryngectomy: a Japanese nationwide retrospective cohort study. Esophagus 21:438-446, 2024.
  11. Sagara Y, Terata K, Sakai T. Design paper: A prospective, multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial of tailored axillary surgery in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer in the upfront surgery setting. JMA J 8:264-269, 2024.
  12. Sakai T, Kutomi G, Shien T, Asaga S, Terata K. The Japanese Breast Cancer Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for surgical treatment of breast cancer, 2022 edition. Breast Cancer 31:1-7, 2024.
  13. Sakamoto R, Okura K, Nagaki Y, Wakita A, Sato Y. Prevention of sarcopenia and maintenance of exercise tolerance by individualized prehabilitation in a patient with esophageal cancer during preoperative adjuvant therapy: A case report. Cureus 16:e64633, 2024.
  14. Sasaki Y, Sato Y, Wakita A, Nagaki Y, Sasamori R, Yoneya T, Takahashi T, Yamada M, Takahashi M, Terata K, Imai K. Peptidoglycan induces CXCL10 production and inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma proliferation. Am J Cancer Res 14:5874-5884, 2024.
  15. Sasamori R, Sato Y, Wakita A, Nagaki Y, Kemuriyama K, Sasaki Y, Nozaki S, Takahashi T, Terata K, Imai K, Minamiya Y. Lipopolysaccharide induces CCL2 through TLR4 signaling and promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation. Am J Cancer Res 14:3497-3512, 2024.
  16. Shinozuka T, Kanda M, Sato Y. Therapeutic Potential of Antibody Targeting Neuronal Pentraxin Receptor in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 31:5674-5682, 2024.
  17. Shiraishi K, ･･･ Imai K （65th），･･･ Minamiya Y （67th），･･･ Kohno T （84 authors in total）．Identification of telomere maintenance gene variations related to lung adenocarcinoma risk by genome-wide association and whole genome sequencing analyses. Cancer Commun （Lond）44:287-293, 2024.
  18. Takahashi Y, Okura K, Sakamoto R, Hasegawa K, Nagaki Y, Wakita A, Sato Y. Preoperative physiotherapy for improving the reserve capacity in a patient with esophageal cancer and frailty: A case report. Physiother Res Int 29:e2138, 2024.
  19. Watanabe S, Imai K, Takashima S, Demura R, Fujibayashi T, Minamiya Y. Proximal ligation technique prevents thrombus formation in the pulmonary vein stump after lobectomy. Surg Today 54:839-846, 2024.
  20. Fukuhara T, Imai K, Nakagawa T, Igusa R, Yokota H, Watanabe K, Suzuki A, Morita M, Onodera R, Inoue A, Miura M, Minamiya Y. A prospective cohort study assessing the relationship between plasma levels of osimertinib and treatment efficacy and safety. Biomedicines 11:2501, 2023.
  21. Ikeda T, Noma K, Okura K, Katayama S, Takahashi Y, Maeda N, Tanabe S, Wakita A. Validity of the 30-second chair-stand test to assess exercise tolerance and clinical outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer: A retrospective study with reference to 6-minute walk test results. Acta Med Okayama 77:193-197,2023.
  22. Imai K, … Takashima S （7th）, … Minamiya Y （16 authors in total）. Intraoperative rapid immunohistochemistry with noncontact antibody mixing for undiagnosed pulmonary tumors. Cancer Sci 114:702-711, 2023.
  23. Iwai H, Yanagawa N, Deguchi H, Tomoyasu M, Shigeeda W, Kaneko Y, Yoshimura R, Kanno H, Sugai M, Shikanai S, Sugai T, Saito H. Surgical treatment for lung metastasis of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the lung: A case report. Thorac Cancer 14:1644-1647, 2023.
  24. Kemuriyama K, An J, Motoyama S, Nagaki Y, Yamaguchi T, Sato Y, Wakita A, Minamiya Y, Kuba K. Squamous cell carcinoma-derived G-CSF promotes tumor growth and metastasis in mice through neutrophil recruitment and tumor cell proliferation, associated with poor prognosis of the patients. Genes Cells 28:573-584, 2023.
  25. Kuriyama S, Imai K, Saito H, Takashima S, Kurihara N, Demura R, Suzuki H, Harata Y, Sato Y, Nakayama K, Nomura K, Minamiya Y. Inferior pulmonary ligament division during left upper lobectomy causes pulmonary dysfunction. Interdiscip Cardiovasc 36:ivad035, 2023.
  26. Kuriyama S, Imai K, Tozawa K, Takashima S, Demura R, Suzuki H, Harata Y, Fujibayashi T, Shibano S, Minamiya Y. Tracheal bifurcation repair for blunt thoracic trauma in a patient with COVID-19. Surg Case Rep 9:108, 2023.
  27. Matsuo T, Imai K, Takashima S, Kurihara N, Kuriyama S, Iwai H, Tozawa K, Saito H, Nomura K, Minamiya Y. Outcomes and pulmonary function after sleeve lobectomy compared with pneumonectomy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Thorac Cancer 14:827-833, 2023.
  28. Mounai Y, Yoshida T, Ito S, Fukuda K, Shimazu K, Taguchi D, Shinozaki H, Takagi D, Imai K, Yamamoto H, Minamiya Y, Nanjyo H, Shibata H. Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma in a patient with lynch syndrome: Response to an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Case Rep Oncol 16:21-29, 2023.
  29. Nakamura K, Ishitobi M, Oshiro C, Shima H, Takahashi E, Nakayama T, Shien T, Saito K, Iwatani T, Seto Y, Terata K. Preferences regarding breast surgery omission among patients with breast cancer who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In Vivo 37:794-800, 2023.
  30. Okura K, Suto A, Sato Y, Takahashi Y, Hatakeyama K, Nagaki Y, Wakita A, Kasukawa Y, Miyakoshi N, MinamiyaY. Preoperative inspiratory muscle weakness as a risk factor of postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with esophageal cancer. Surg Oncol 128:1259-1267, 2023.
  31. Okura K, Takahashi Y, Hatakeyama K, Saito K, Kasukawa Y, Imai K, Minamiya Y. Preoperative inspiratory muscle training in a patient with lung cancer and comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory sarcopenia: A case report. Physiother Res Int 28:e1987, 2023.
  32. Sakai T, Kutomi G, Shien T, Asaga S, Aruga T, Ishitobi M, Kuba S, Sawaki M, Terata K. The Japanese breast cancer society clinical practice guidelines for surgical treatment of breast cancer, 2022 edition. Breast Cancer 31:1-7, 2023.
  33. Sasada S, Kondo N, Hashimoto H, Takahashi Y, Terata K. Prognostic impact of adjuvant endocrine therapy for estrogen receptor-positive and HER2-negative T1a/bN0M0 breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 202:473-483, 2023.
  34. Sasamori R, Motoyama S, Sato Y, Wakita A, Nagaki Y, Imai K, Minamiya Y. Salvage robotic-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy after definitive chemoradiotherapy for clinical T4b esophageal cancer: A case report. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 29:97-102, 2023.
  35. Sato Y, Wakita A, Maeda E, Nagaki Y, Sasamori R, Kemuriyama K, Nozaki S, Ito S, Terata K, Imai K, Nanjo H, Nomura K, Minamiya Y. High TLR6 expression status predicts a more favorable prognosis after esophagectomy for locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Curr Oncol 30:4724-4735, 2023.
  36. Shigeeda W, Deguchi H, Tomoyasu M, Kaneko Y, Yoshimura R, Iwai H, Kanno H, Kudo S, Takahashi F, Saito H. Optimal period of smoking cessation to reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in lung cancer. Interdiscip Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 36:ivad094, 2023.
  37. Tani K, Kimura D, Matsuo T, Saito Y, Taima K, Kakehata S, Kurose A, Minakawa M. Rescue computed tomography-guided drainage of a giant mediastinal mature teratoma causing airway obstruction prior to surgical resection: a case report. Surg Case Rep 9:59, 2023.
  38. Terada M, Ito A, … Toyama T （40 authors in total）. The Japanese breast cancer society clinical practice guidelines for systemic treatment of breast cancer, 2022 edition. Breast Cancer 30:872-884, 2023.
  39. Wakita A, Motoyama S, Sato Y, Nagaki Y, Fujita H, Kemuriyama K, Hayashi K, Imai K, Nanjo H, Minamiya Y. Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy provides borderline resectable thoracic esophageal cancer with equivalent treatment results as clinically T3 thoracic esophageal cancer. Ann Gastroenterol Surg 7:904-912, 2023.
  40. Yoshimura R, Deguchi H, Tomoyasu M, Shigeeda W, Kaneko Y, Iwai H, Saito H. Assessment of lymph node metastasis of ≤ 20 mm non-small cell lung cancer originating from superior segment compared to basal segment. Thorac Cancer 14:304-308, 2023.
  41. Yoshimura R, Shigeeda W, Fujita Y, Kokaji T, Deguchi H, Tomoyasu M, Kudo S, Kaneko Y, Kanno H, Iwai H, Mase T, Saito H. Diagnostic method of mass spectrometry for detecting lymph node metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer. Thorac Cancer 15:209-214, 2023.

2023-2024 (for 2 years)

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