Middle East Health Tourism Magazine,
Tokyo-Japan, by Editor in-Chief
Continuing with our journey in Japan, we have met one of the ‘Super Doctors’ of the country whose name
evokes praise and respect in the society. It was not only an honor for us to meet a pioneer in his field but
also a very educational session as we came to know more about colorectal cancer and Dr. Shin-ei Kudo’s
discoveries.
“Colorectal cancer is classified into three types: (1) protruded type in which the polyp that grows on the
membrane enlarges and develops into cancer; (2) depressed type in which the intestinal mucosa caves in
like a pit without forming a polyp; and (3) lateral spreading tumor (LST), in which the cancer spreads
sideways,” explained Dr. Kudo for our readers who may not be very familiar with this type of cancer.
“Our hospital has the fully equipped facility for endoscopic treatment of colorectal cancer and every year
50 to 70 doctors from all over the world come to this hospital mainly upon the invitation of Japanese
Cancer Association. These doctors choose our facility because we offer very high level of techniques in the
endoscopic treatment of colorectal cancer,” said Dr. Kudo.
The director further highlighted that if colorectal cancer is detected and treated at an early stage,
treatability is high and colorectal endoscopy is an excellent method for early detection and treatment. The
current magnifying endoscope with zoom apparatus (endocytoscopy) being used worldwide was co-
developed by Dr. Kudo and a Japanese industrial firm. This technological innovation enables a highly
experienced and skilled specialist to detect not only polyps but also colorectal cancer, which can be highly
malignant in its early stages.
“Previously, we knew only one type of cancer in the intestines. However, with the use of advanced
endoscopy, we can now examine further and identify other types of the disease, which could not be
detected through traditional methods. We have introduced the ‘magnifying endoscope’ to the world and it
is being widely used to detect various types of cancer. I also teach various methods of insertion and
endoscopic treatment techniques to my students,” underlined the ‘super doctor’.
Training young doctors
In addition to welcoming patients from overseas, Dr. Kudo and his team has added an international training
center for endoscopy. They educate young physicians from abroad who are dedicated to learning state-of-
the-art medicine in Japan. And its director, Dr. Kudo, is known to perform EMR and ESD in a short period of
time based on accurate endoscopic diagnosis.
Who is Dr. Shin-ei Kudo?
Graduating from the Faculty of Medicine at Niigata University, Dr. Kudo joined their department of surgery.
In 1985 he was assigned to the department of surgery at Akita Red Cross Hospital becoming the first to
discover colorectal cancer. Based on a large number of case studies he conducted, Dr. Kudo disproved the
established the theory that ‘colorectal cancer always starts with a polyp’. Since 2001, he has served as
professor at Showa University School of Medicine. Dr. Kudo has performed over 200,000 colonoscopies and
traveled around the world to give lectures, offer technical guidance and perform treatment.
