According to the World Health Statistics 2023 published by the WHO, the average life expectancy of Japanese people is 84.3 years, the highest in the world. In addition to a healthy food culture and a well-developed healthcare system, the reason for the long life expectancy of Japanese people is thought to be the culture of regularly receiving health screenings. Health screenings not only allow for the early detection of diseases such as cancer, but also help to prevent illness by allowing people to understand their physical condition. However, in emerging countries, there are few facilities offering health screening services, and there is an issue that the culture of receiving health screenings has not taken root.
In 2021, we established NURA in Bengaluru, India, and began our health screening service in emerging countries. Since then, we have continued to expand our centers, and as of the end of 2024, we have eight centers in India, Mongolia, and Vietnam. NURA provides cancer screening and other lifestyle disease testing services using our CT, mammography and other medical equipment, as well as AI technology to support doctors' diagnoses. All tests can be completed in just 120 minutes, and after the tests are finished, users can receive a clear explanation of their test results from a doctor while looking at the diagnostic images on the spot.
In the future, we aim to establish 30 health screening centers by 2026 and 100 centers by 2030, mainly in emerging countries, by utilising our medical equipment, AI technology and know-how, and contribute to the early detection of diseases in each country.
Radiology departments at medical institutions use a variety of medical equipment to carry out tests, including general X-ray machines for taking still images, CT and MRI machines for taking cross-sectional images, and X-ray fluoroscopy machines for taking fluoroscopic images.
General X-ray machines are used for a wide range of tests, including those on the chest, abdomen, knees and hips, so the number of tests is high, and in many cases the waiting time for patients is long. On the other hand, fluoroscopy is used for barium examinations of the stomach, etc., but the number of fluoroscopy examinations is not as high as that of general X-ray examinations, and in fact, the number of fluoroscopy examinations is decreasing because endoscopy was added as a method of screening for stomach cancer in 2016. Therefore, there is a need for small and medium-sized hospitals and clinics, which have a limited number of examination rooms, to replace their fluoroscopy rooms, which are used for fewer examinations, with general X-ray examination rooms, which are used for more examinations.
However, there were issues to replace fluoroscopy rooms with general X-ray rooms even if their utilisation rates were low, as there were still cases where X-ray fluoroscopy was necessary, such as for swallowing contrast examinations to check for dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing) due to factors such as aging.
We have developed an X-ray diagnostic imaging system with fluoroscopy capabilities that can take both moving and still images with a single device. As the range of examinations that can be performed with a single device is broadened, it will become possible to perform the same examinations, that were previously carried out in the ‘fluoroscopy room’, in the ‘general X-ray photography room’ as well.
We contribute to the improvement of the efficiency of examinations and the quality of medical care through the provision of a wide range of products and services that meet the various needs of the medical frontline.
FUJIFILM Corporation is “Visionary Partner”*1 to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) for World Cancer Day 2025-2027.
This partnership aims to raise awareness of the importance of ensuring that cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment services are accessible to everyone.
- *1 A long-term partner that supports the vision of World Cancer Day as set out by UICC.
