What Should I Send a Japanese Stem Cell Clinic Before My First Consultation?

For a first consultation, you usually need a short medical summary, a few key specialist reports, recent relevant imaging, useful lab results, your current medication list, a brief treatment history, major health conditions, allergies, and one or two goals you can measure.

You normally do not need to send your entire medical record on day one. Start with the documents that show your diagnosis, what has changed, what treatment you have already tried, and anything that may affect safety.

Before paying for new tests, translating dozens of pages, or making travel plans, ask the clinic what it actually wants to review. The stem cell treatment process in Japan should start with a medical-record review rather than a treatment booking.

What to Send First

• A 1-page medical summary
• Your main diagnosis report
• 1–3 relevant specialist reports
• Your latest relevant imaging report
• DICOM imaging files, if the clinic asks for them
• Recent lab results that relate to your condition or procedure safety
• A current medication and supplement list
• A short history of previous treatments and surgery
• Major medical conditions
• Allergies, including what reaction you had
• Your current physical limitations
• 1–2 goals you can measure

Before sending a large folder of files, ask the clinic these questions:

• Will a physician review my records?
• Can I send records in English?
• Do you need the original DICOM files?
• How should I upload medical records securely?
• Do you have a medical questionnaire for international patients?
• Do I need any new tests before the first review?

Eligibility is not decided by the diagnosis name alone. The doctor may also need to consider the stage of the disease, your current health, infection risk, medicines, previous treatment, and the procedure being proposed. See stem cell therapy indications and contraindications in Japan for more on these factors.

Keep the First Packet Manageable

A useful first packet might contain:

• 1 page: medical summary
• 1–3 reports: diagnosis and specialist reports
• 1–2 imaging studies: usually the latest study and, when helpful, one older study for comparison
• 1 medication list: current medicines plus important medicines stopped recently
• 3–5 previous treatments: especially treatments that helped, failed, or caused significant side effects
• 1–2 goals: things you want to be able to measure later

If you have a thick file of old records, do not assume every page needs to go in the first upload. Send the records that explain the condition being reviewed and keep the rest available in case the doctor asks for them.

Write a 1-Page Medical Summary

The summary should be easy to scan. A doctor should be able to understand the basic story of your condition without opening ten separate PDFs.

• Age: 62
• Diagnosis: Right knee osteoarthritis
• Diagnosed: March 2024 by an orthopedic surgeon
• Symptoms started: Around 2022
• Current symptoms: Pain mainly during walking and stairs
• Current function: Can walk about 15 minutes before stopping
• Recent change: Gradually worse over the last 6 months
• Previous treatment: Physical therapy, NSAIDs, and 2 corticosteroid injections
• Surgery: None
• Other conditions: Hypertension
• Allergy: Penicillin — hives
• Latest imaging: Right-knee MRI, March 2026
• Goal: Walk for 30 minutes with less pain

Try not to write things like “I tried everything.” A short, concrete description is much more useful:

“I completed 12 weeks of physical therapy. My strength improved, but the pain while walking did not. One corticosteroid injection reduced my pain by about 70% for 6 weeks.”

If you cannot estimate a percentage, use something you can describe clearly, such as walking time, pain score, sleep, medication use, or your ability to climb stairs.

Include Records That Support the Diagnosis

Send the records that best show what the condition is and how it was diagnosed. Depending on the condition, these may include:

• Orthopedic report
• Neurology report
• Rheumatology report
• Cardiology report
• Oncology report
• Hospital discharge summary
• Operative report
• Pathology or biopsy report
• Genetic test report
• Formal imaging report

It also helps to state where the diagnosis stands:

• Confirmed: a doctor has established the diagnosis.
• Working diagnosis: a doctor suspects the condition, but more testing is still needed.
• Not yet diagnosed: you have symptoms, but the cause has not been established.

If two specialists disagree, send both important reports. Do not leave out a report simply because it is less supportive of treatment.

Send the Right Imaging

Start with the most recent imaging that relates to the condition. The written radiology report may be enough for an initial review, but sometimes the physician will want to inspect the original images as well.

A radiology report is the radiologist’s written interpretation. A DICOM study contains the actual medical imaging data. DICOM is the international standard used for medical imaging information and exchange.^[1]

“Do you need the full DICOM study for the first physician review, or is the radiology report enough for now?”

If the physician needs to inspect the scan itself, a few MRI screenshots are not a substitute for the complete study.

The right imaging also depends on the condition. For chronic knee pain, for example, the American College of Radiology lists knee radiography as the usual initial imaging examination. MRI becomes appropriate in certain situations depending on the findings and suspected problem.^[2] For knee joint disorders, the doctor may want to see both X-ray and MRI findings.

If you have several old MRIs, you usually do not need to upload every one at the beginning. The latest study plus one older comparison is often easier to review.

Clear file names help:

• 2026-03-18_Right-Knee_MRI_Report.pdf
• 2026-03-18_Right-Knee_MRI_DICOM.zip
• 2025-09-12_Right-Knee_Xray.pdf

Send Lab Results That Are Actually Relevant

Some laboratory tests help explain the disease. Others are used to check whether a procedure can be performed safely.

Disease-related tests may include:

• Inflammatory markers
• Autoimmune testing
• Blood glucose
• Disease-specific biomarkers
• Genetic results
• Other specialist testing

Procedure-safety tests may include:

• Complete blood count
• Kidney function
• Liver function
• Coagulation tests
• Blood glucose
• Infectious-disease screening

If one lab report already contains dozens of results, send the report itself. You do not need to copy every number into the body of an email.

If the clinic wants new testing, ask for the exact test name, how recent the result must be, and whether you can have the test done in your home country.

List Your Medicines and Allergies

For each regular medicine, include:

• Name
• Dose
• How often you take it
• Why you take it
• Any recent dose changes

Include prescription medicines, over-the-counter drugs, aspirin, vitamins, herbal products, supplements, and injections.

If the list is long, put it in a separate document so it is easy to update.

Medicines that were stopped recently can still be relevant. For example:

“Prednisone stopped 5 days ago after 8 months of treatment.”

Do not stop anticoagulants, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, diabetes medicines, or other prescribed treatment without advice from the doctor managing those medicines.

For allergies, write down the reaction instead of listing only the drug name:

• Useful: Penicillin — hives
• Useful: Amoxicillin — facial swelling requiring emergency care
• Too vague: Drug allergy

Show What You Have Already Tried

Choose the previous treatments that matter most to the current problem. For each treatment, note:

• Treatment
• Date
• Duration or number of sessions
• Result
• How long the benefit lasted
• Side effects
• Why it stopped

For example:

• January–April 2024: 12 weeks of physical therapy — strength improved, but walking pain did not.
• July 2024: Corticosteroid injection — about 70% pain relief for 6 weeks.
• February 2025: Hyaluronic acid injection — no clear improvement after 8 weeks.

This is more useful than simply writing “physical therapy failed” or “injections did not work.”

Mention Health Problems That May Affect Risk

Include major health conditions even if they seem unrelated to the problem you want treated:

• Heart disease
• Previous heart attack or stroke
• Cancer history
• Autoimmune disease
• Diabetes
• Kidney or liver disease
• Blood-clotting disorders
• Previous deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism
• Serious or recurrent infections
• Immune deficiency
• Previous organ transplant
• Major recent surgery
• Previous anesthesia problems
• Pregnancy, when relevant

Also mention recent illness. Something like “pneumonia treated 2 weeks ago” may affect the timing of an elective procedure even if you otherwise feel well now.

Describe Symptoms With Real Numbers

“Worse” can mean many things. A doctor gets a clearer picture if you describe what has changed in everyday life.

• Walking distance: 2 km one year ago → 500 m now
• Walking time: 30 minutes → 10 minutes
• Pain while walking: 4/10 → 7/10
• Falls: 0–1 per month → 3–4 per month
• Stairs: previously no support → now need a handrail

For neurological conditions, also mention changes in:

• Cane, walker, or wheelchair use
• Hand function
• Balance
• Dressing and bathing
• Speech
• Swallowing
• Work and daily activities

If pain is the main problem, include the diagnosed cause whenever possible. “Chronic pain” is a broad label, and evidence for one cause of pain may not apply to another. See chronic pain and regenerative medicine for more detail.

Sudden paralysis, new major weakness, stroke-like symptoms, severe breathing difficulty, or other emergency symptoms need urgent local medical care. They should not wait for an overseas elective consultation.

Choose 1–2 Goals You Can Measure

Good goals are things you can check later:

• Walk for 30 minutes without stopping because of knee pain
• Walk 2 km instead of 500 m
• Sleep 6–7 hours without waking because of pain
• Climb 1 flight of stairs without stopping
• Use pain medication on fewer days each week
• Use the affected hand for a specific daily task
• Walk indoors without another person’s assistance

Words such as “regeneration,” “rejuvenation,” or “immune improvement” are hard to judge unless they are tied to a real outcome. Ask what change you should expect to see or measure.

Match the Records to the Condition

Joint problems: orthopedic diagnosis, X-rays, MRI if available, previous injections, physical therapy history, surgery reports, and current movement or walking limits.

Spine problems: MRI or CT, specialist reports, previous surgery, injection history, neurological examination, and EMG or nerve-conduction testing if already performed.

Neurological conditions: neurologist’s diagnosis, brain or spinal imaging, disease duration, current medicines, previous disease-modifying treatment, functional testing, and records showing progression. For spinal injury, include the injury date, injury level, and neurological function. These details are important when reviewing spinal cord injury stem cell research.

Autoimmune disease: specialist diagnosis, disease activity, immunosuppressive medicines, previous biologic treatment, infection history, and relevant laboratory tests.

Previous cancer: cancer type, year diagnosed, surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy received, current status, and latest oncology follow-up.

Translate Only What the Clinic Needs

Ask whether the clinic accepts English records before paying for translation.

If Japanese translation is required, start with the most important documents:

• Diagnosis summary
• Latest specialist report
• Operative report
• Pathology report
• Important imaging report
• Important laboratory report

Keep the original document together with the translation.

If you are sending many files, a simple one-page index can save a lot of confusion:

1. Medical Summary
2. Orthopedic Report — May 10, 2026
3. Knee MRI Report — April 22, 2026
4. Knee MRI DICOM — April 22, 2026
5. Blood Tests — May 18, 2026
6. Medication List — updated May 20, 2026

Remove duplicate copies unless they contain a different medical opinion or additional information.

Protect the Records You Send

Japan’s Personal Information Protection Commission treats medical history, treatment information, and other health-related records as sensitive information requiring special care.^[3]

Before sending medical records or identification, ask:

• How should I send the files?
• Who can access them?
• Will translators see them?
• Will they be shared with a laboratory or cell-processing facility?
• Why is my passport needed at this stage?

The site’s health data and medical records policy explains how records submitted for medical coordination may be handled.

What Should Happen After Record Review?

After the doctor reviews your records, you should get a clear next step. Common possibilities include:

1. The records are sufficient. The physician can discuss whether a treatment may be relevant to your case.
2. More information is needed. The clinic should tell you which scan, test, report, or examination is missing.
3. You may meet the basic criteria. The doctor still needs to weigh the treatment against its risks and reasonable alternatives.
4. You are not suitable. Another treatment, more diagnostic work, or no regenerative procedure may be the better option.
5. An in-person examination is required. Some clinical questions cannot be answered from records alone.

Being eligible is not the same as having treatment recommended. If a clinic says you qualify, ask why that option makes sense compared with the alternatives available in your case.

Ask Exactly What Cell Treatment Is Being Offered

“Stem cell therapy” or “MSC treatment” is too broad. Ask for the details:

• Are the cells from me or from a donor?
• What tissue are the cells obtained from?
• What type of cells are they?
• Are they cultured or expanded?
• Where are they processed?
• What tests are performed before use?
• What dose will I receive?
• How will the treatment be given?
• How many administrations are planned?

See autologous vs. allogeneic stem cells for the differences between patient-derived and donor-derived treatments.

Two treatments may both be described as MSC therapy while using different tissue sources, processing methods, doses, and administration routes.

Ask which cell processing center prepares the cells and which quality tests are performed before the cells are used.

Check the Japanese Regulatory Status

For regenerative medicine covered by Japan’s Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine, the medical institution must prepare the required provision plan, obtain the applicable committee opinion, and submit the plan before providing treatment. MHLW states that providing covered regenerative medicine without submitting the required plan violates the law.^[4]

Japan uses Class I, Class II, and Class III for different levels of risk. These classes refer to risk classification; they are not a ranking of effectiveness.

The revised Act took effect on May 31, 2025.^[5]

MHLW’s e-Regenerative Medicine site separates treatment provision plans into Class I, Class II, and Class III. The site also states that lists of specified cell-processing facilities are not published there and directs users to the relevant authority for individual inquiries.^[6]

If a clinic says a treatment is provided under this law, ask for the treatment name and the corresponding provision-plan information. See Japan regenerative medicine registration and compliance for more on the legal routes.

A Provision Plan Is Different From Product Approval

A regenerative medicine provision plan and approval of a regenerative medical product are separate regulatory routes.

A provision plan tells you the legal framework under which a treatment is being provided. It is not, by itself, evidence that the treatment is effective.

Japan also has a separate approval system for regenerative medical products. PMDA’s current public list covers new regenerative medical products approved from April 2015 through May 2026.^[7]

If a clinic refers to an approved product, ask:

• What is the exact product name?
• What condition is it approved for?
• Does my proposed use match that indication?
• Is the approval conditional and time-limited?

Japan has a specific conditional and time-limited approval system for certain regenerative medical products.^[8]

PMDA also publishes product-specific review reports showing details such as the approved indication, approval history, and evidence reviewed.^[9]

Check Whether the Evidence Matches the Treatment

General stem-cell research is not enough. The studies should be reasonably close to the treatment you are actually being offered.

• Same diagnosis
• Similar disease stage
• Similar patient group
• Same or similar cell type
• Similar processing
• Similar dose
• Same administration route
• Similar treatment schedule
• Number of patients
• Comparison group
• Measured outcome
• Size of the improvement
• Length of follow-up
• Adverse events

For example, a study of donor cells given by IV does not directly answer what will happen with autologous cells injected into a joint.

Study size and follow-up are worth checking, but they are only part of the picture:

• Study A: 12 patients, followed for 8 weeks
• Study B: 180 patients, followed for 24 months

Study B has more patients and longer follow-up. You still need to look at the study design, comparison group, patient population, and whether the treatment matches what you are considering.

Also look at the size of the improvement. “Patients improved” does not tell you much on its own.

A pain score changing from 7 to 6 is different from changing from 7 to 3. The clinical importance of that change depends on the condition and the scale being used.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research advises patients to check the exact intervention, evidence, risks, alternatives, and oversight rather than relying on testimonials or broad claims.^[10]

If It Is a Clinical Study, Verify the Study

If the treatment is being offered as part of research, ask for:

• Study title
• jRCT number
• Principal investigator
• Target disease
• Intervention
• Main outcome
• Planned number of participants
• Recruitment status
• Follow-up period
• Patient costs

Japan’s jRCT is the official public registration system used for relevant clinical research, including regenerative medicine research.^[11]

A registration number confirms that a study has been registered. It does not establish that the treatment works.

Make sure you also know whether you are actually enrolling in that registered study or paying for a separate treatment outside it.

Ask About Risk at Each Stage

Collection: How are the cells obtained? Blood collection, fat collection, and bone-marrow aspiration are different procedures with different risks.

Cell preparation: How are the cells processed, stored, and tested? What happens if the final preparation does not pass a required quality test?

Administration: Will the cells be given by IV infusion, joint injection, spinal procedure, surgery, or another route?

Autologous cells come from your own body, but the collection, processing, and administration can still carry risks. See stem cell therapy safety in Japan for more detail.

If a clinic gives you a complication number, ask how many patients were treated and how long they were followed:

• 2 complications among 20 patients = 10%
• 2 complications among 20,000 patients = 0.01%

These figures are only examples, but they show why a complication count without a denominator can be misleading.

Get the Full Price in Writing

Ask for an itemized quote covering:

• Medical-record review
• Physician consultation
• Cell collection
• Cell processing
• Laboratory testing
• Storage
• Treatment procedure
• Anesthesia, if needed
• Medication
• Follow-up
• Translation or interpretation
• Repeat treatments

Cell source, processing method, administration route, and number of sessions can all affect the final price. The stem cell treatment costs in Japan page explains why a single headline price should not be treated as a standard price across Japan.

Before paying, ask what happens to your money if:

• The physician decides not to proceed.
• Your health changes.
• Cell collection fails.
• The processed cells cannot be used.
• You cannot travel.
• The clinic postpones or cancels treatment.

If a clinic recommends three treatments, treatment every three months, or annual treatment, ask what evidence supports that particular schedule.

Plan the Follow-Up Before You Travel

• How many days should I stay in Japan?
• When can I fly home?
• Which symptoms require urgent care?
• Who do I contact after clinic hours?
• When is the first follow-up?
• Can follow-up be done remotely?
• Which tests will need to be repeated?
• Can the Japanese physician communicate with my doctor at home?

The medical travel guide for stem cell treatment in Japan covers these questions from the perspective of an international patient.

Before leaving Japan, ask for a treatment summary that includes:

• Exact treatment
• Date
• Cell or product name
• Cell source
• Dose, when applicable
• Administration route
• Medicines given
• Immediate complications
• Follow-up instructions
• Emergency contact details

Red Flags to Take Seriously

• You are told you are a good candidate before a physician reviews meaningful medical records.
• Almost everyone seems to qualify.
• The treating physician cannot be identified.
• The clinic guarantees improvement.
• Direct questions about the cells, evidence, or risks are avoided.
• You are pressured to transfer money quickly.
• You are told not to discuss treatment with your current doctor.
• The treatment details are not provided in writing.
• There is no clear plan for serious complications.
• There is no clear follow-up plan after you return home.

When deciding how to choose a stem cell hospital in Japan, pay more attention to the physician, treatment details, evidence, regulatory status, and follow-up plan than to glossy marketing or patient testimonials.

Where treatment is provided

GINZA NOA CLINIC, Ginza, Tokyo

This article was written and medically reviewed at GINZA NOA CLINIC. The photographs below were taken inside the clinic in Chuo-ku, Tokyo.

Address

Royal Crystal Ginza 3F, 5-4-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061

Getting there

3 min from Tokyo Metro Ginza Station (Exit B6); 5 min from JR Yurakucho Station

Cell processing

In-house CPC, facility number FC3250034

Enquiries

WhatsApp +81-8070161366 · LINE +81-8075357788

Medically reviewed by Ryosuke Tanabe, MD (Director, GINZA NOA CLINIC) with Kotaro Yoshimura, MD, PhD (Professor of Plastic Surgery, Jichi Medical University) as technical advisor. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. Every treatment carries risks — ask what they mean for your case at the consultation. Registration and credentials · How we review content