Dr. Hisashi Saji, Chair, Research - Asian Thoracic Academy

Professional Designation	Professor and Chair
Department	Thoracic Surgery
Organization of Employment	St. Marianna University School of Medicine
Degrees	MD, PhD

Profile

Dr. Hisashi Saji is a renowned thoracic surgeon, widely recognized for his expertise in advanced techniques such as minimally invasive surgery, radical surgery, and surgical oncology.

He earned his medical degree from Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan, in 1995. He began his career as an intern at the prestigious International Medical Center of Japan in Tokyo and later completed his residency in general surgery at Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital. Driven by a passion for thoracic surgery, he pursued specialized training at Tokyo Medical University, where he conducted research focusing on cytokine mechanisms in lung cancer tissues, culminating in a PhD. In 2003, he further honed his expertise as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Engleman’s laboratory at the Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine. There, he made significant contributions to the study of dendritic cell-based tumor immunotherapy.

In 2019, Dr. Saji was appointed to his current position, solidifying his reputation as a leading figure in thoracic surgery. His extensive research is reflected in over 150 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He is also an active speaker, delivering lectures on thoracic surgical oncology and clinical studies. He holds multiple board certifications in thoracic surgery in Japan, underscoring his commitment to maintaining the highest standards of patient care.

Dr. Hisashi Saji’s accomplishments, expertise, and dedication to advancing thoracic surgery have firmly established him as a globally recognized leader in the field.

Education

Gifu University School of Medicine
Tokyo Medical University

Research Interests

Cytokine mechanisms in lung cancer tissues
Dendritic cell-based tumor immunotherapy

2011. Klotho is a novel biomarker for good survival in resected large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung. Usuda J, Ichinose S, Ishizumi T, Ohtani K, Inoue T, Saji H, Kakihana M, Kajiwara N, Uchida O, Nomura M, Tsutsui H, Ohira T, Ikeda N. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2010.10.008
Klotho predicts good clinical outcome in patients with limited-disease small cell lung cancer who received surgery. Usuda J, Ichinose S, Ishizumi T, Ohtani K, Inoue T, Saji H, Kakihana M, Kajiwara N, Uchida O, Nomura M, Ohira T, Ikeda N. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2011.03.004.
2010. Outcomes of airway stenting for advanced lung cancer with central airway obstruction. Saji H, Furukawa K, Tsutsui H, Tsuboi M, Ichinose S, Usuda J, Ohira T, Ikeda N. doi: 10.1510/icvts.2010.238196
2003, Correlation between encoded protein overexpression and copy number of the HER2 gene with survival in non-small cell lung cancer. Nakamura H, Saji H, Ogata A, Hosaka M, Hagiwara M, Kawasaki N, Kato H. doi: 10.1002/ijc.10795.
2002, The incidence and the risk of pneumothorax and chest tube placement after percutaneous CT-guided lung biopsy: the angle of the needle trajectory is a novel predictor. Saji H, Nakamura H, Tsuchida T, Tsuboi M, Kawate N, Konaka C, Kato H. doi: 10.1378/chest.121.5.1521.

2024. Segmentectomy versus lobectomy in small-sized peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer with radiologically pure-solid appearance in Japan (JCOG0802/WJOG4607L): a post-hoc supplemental analysis of a multicentre, open-label, phase 3 trial. Hattori A, Suzuki K, Takamochi K, Wakabayashi M, Sekino Y, Tsutani Y, Nakajima R, Aokage K, Saji H, Tsuboi M, Okada M, Asamura H, Nakamura K, Fukuda H, Watanabe SI; Japan Clinical Oncology Group; West Japan Oncology Group. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00382-X
2023. Segmentectomy for ground-glass-dominant lung cancer with a tumour diameter of 3 cm or less including ground-glass opacity (JCOG1211): a multicentre, single-arm, confirmatory, phase 3 trial. Aokage K, Suzuki K, Saji H, Wakabayashi M, Kataoka T, Sekino Y, Fukuda H, Endo M, Hattori A, Mimae T, Miyoshi T, Isaka M, Yoshioka H, Nakajima R, Nakagawa K, Okami J, Ito H, Kuroda H, Tsuboi M, Okumura N, Takahama M, Ohde Y, Aoki T, Tsutani Y, Okada M, Watanabe SI; Japan Clinical Oncology Group. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00041-3.
Mimae T, Saji H, Nakamura H, Okumura N, Tsuchida M, Sonobe M, Miyazaki T, Aokage K, Nakao M, Haruki T, Okada M, Suzuki K, Yoshino I. Sublobar Resection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Octogenarians: A Prospective, Multicenter Study. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 Sep;116(3):543-551. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2023.02.061. Epub 2023 Mar 31. PMID: 37004802.
2022. Segmentectomy versus lobectomy in small-sized peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer (JCOG0802/WJOG4607L): a multicentre, open-label, phase 3, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial. Saji H, Okada M, Tsuboi M, Nakajima R, Suzuki K, Aokage K, Aoki T, Okami J, Yoshino I, Ito H, Okumura N, Yamaguchi M, Ikeda N, Wakabayashi M, Nakamura K, Fukuda H, Nakamura S, Mitsudomi T, Watanabe SI, Asamura H; West Japan Oncology Group and Japan Clinical Oncology Group. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02333-3
Mimae T, Saji H, Nakamura H, Okumura N, Tsuchida M, Sonobe M, Miyazaki T, Aokage K, Nakao M, Haruki T, Okada M, Suzuki K, Chida M. Survival of Octogenarians with Early-Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer is Comparable Between Wedge Resection and Lobectomy/Segmentectomy: JACS1303. Ann Surg Oncol. 2021 Nov;28(12):7219-7227. doi: 10.1245/s10434-021-09835-w. Epub 2021 Apr 26. PMID: 33900499.
2019. Comparison of pulmonary segmentectomy and lobectomy: Safety results of a randomized trial. Suzuki K, Saji H, Aokage K, Watanabe SI, Okada M, Mizusawa J, Nakajima R, Tsuboi M, Nakamura S, Nakamura K, Mitsudomi T, Asamura H; West Japan Oncology Group; Japan Clinical Oncology Group. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2019.03.09
Hishida T, Saji H, Watanabe SI, Asamura H, Aokage K, Mizutani T, Wakabayashi M, Shibata T, Okada M; Lung Cancer Surgical Study Group of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG-LCSSG). A randomized Phase III trial of lobe-specific vs. systematic nodal dissection for clinical Stage I-II non-small cell lung cancer (JCOG1413). Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2018 Feb 1;48(2):190-194. doi: 10.1093/jjco/hyx170. PMID: 29177507.
Saji H, Ueno T, Nakamura H, Okumura N, Tsuchida M, Sonobe M, Miyazaki T, Aokage K, Nakao M, Haruki T, Ito H, Kataoka K, Okabe K, Tomizawa K, Yoshimoto K, Horio H, Sugio K, Ode Y, Takao M, Okada M, Chida M; Committee for Scientific Affairs, The Japanese Association for Chest Surgery, Tokyo, Japan. A proposal for a comprehensive risk scoring system for predicting postoperative complications in octogenarian patients with medically operable lung cancer: JACS1303. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2018 Apr 1;53(4):835-841. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezx415. PMID: 29240884.