Academic History

Kohei Shitara, MD, is currently the Chief of the Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan. In 2002, he achieved his medical degree at Tohoku University of Medicine, Sendai, Japan, and completed his residency in gastroenterology at Kameda Medical Hospital, Kamogawa, Japan. He joined as a staff physician in the Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology in 2012, and the Department of Experimental Therapeutics and Gastrointestinal Oncology in 2013, at the National Cancer Center Hospital East.

Dr Shitara is an active member in European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Japanese Society of Internal Medicine (JSIM), and Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO). His research focuses on the development of novel anticancer drugs and optimal chemotherapy regimens for gastrointestinal cancers, as well as translational research.

Speaking on the development of novel therapies for gastrointestinal cancers

Dr Shitara is a primary investigator or a study chair for multiple sponsor-initiated and investigator-initiated clinical trials on gastric cancers and colorectal cancers. Results from his clinical trials published in high impact international journals have led to the approval of trastuzumab deruxtecan, nivolumab, trifluridine with tipiracil and zolbetuximab, in gastric cancers. He has ongoing international collaborations in translational research, and currently leads six global clinical trials investigating the combination of immunotherapy and molecular targeting agents that expand on results from his previous work. He was recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate in 2022 and 2023. He was also recently awarded the Japan Research Front Award in 2024 for his contributions in the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors for gastric cancer.