Department of Respiratory Medicine and Hematology Division of Respiratory Medicine

The "respiratory system" is divided into the upper respiratory tract from the nasal cavity to the larynx, and the lower respiratory tract from the trachea to the lungs, and respiratory medicine deals with diseases that develop in the lower respiratory tract.
Our department treats a wide variety of diseases, from benign diseases such as infectious pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial pneumonia, and bronchial asthma to malignant diseases such as lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma. The characteristics of respiratory medicine are the "diversity of causes and pathologies" and the "continuity between research and clinical practice."

In terms of research, we mainly conduct clinical and basic research on respiratory malignant tumors. In clinical research, we aim to generate new evidence through clinical trials in collaboration with many facilities both in Japan and overseas and through corporate clinical trials, and to expand the indications of existing drugs and obtain approval for new drugs. In basic research, we conduct experiments using cells and model mice with the goal of developing new immunotherapies and molecular targeted drugs for cancer.

In terms of medical treatment, for example, pneumonia can have a wide variety of causes, including infection, autoimmune disease, and allergies, so we consider the pathology together with the patient and work together to treat them. With regard to lung cancer, recent research results have resulted in dramatically effective treatments that can now be used in clinical practice. We strive to use these drugs appropriately and provide the latest, safest treatments. In addition, although it is a rare cancer, our treatment record for malignant mesothelioma, which is caused by asbestos exposure, is recognized as the best in Japan.
In recent years, while the number of patients suffering from respiratory diseases has increased, there is a shortage of respiratory specialists with the specialized knowledge and skills. In the future, we would like to nurture medical scientists who can not only perform daily medical treatment but also be involved in research, and continue to contribute as a core hospital in the Hanshin area.