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Division of Screening Assessment and Management


Introduction

The Division of Screening Assessment and Management has conducted studies on the assessment and management of screening programs, particularly nationwide programs, and on other issues relevant to cancer screening.

In addition, the most important mission of the Center for Public Health Sciences in terms of screening, is the central activity of assessing and managing cancer screening at the national level, which is closely related to the pillars in the Individual Targets for Cancer Screening in the Basic Cancer Control Plan. Thus, our division has developed and updated screening guidelines (Cancer Screening Assessment), and constructed quality assurance systems for the screening programs (Cancer Screening Management).

Staff

Chief

Tomio Nakayama

Section Head

Hirokazu Takahashi, Satoyo Hosono

Researcher

Akiko Matsumoto, Noriaki Takahashi, Jin Miyazawa, Chisato Hamashima, Kanako Kono

Research assistant

Sayo Aikawa, Nao Ida, Miho Kashikura, Kanna Higuchi, Akiko Totake, Kanoko Matsushima


staff-picture

 

Routine activities

Development of cancer screening guidelines

Our division has been publishing several Japanese guidelines for cancer screening since 2005 as follow.

  • The Japanese Guideline for Colorectal cancer screening in 2005
  • The Japanese Guideline for Gastric cancer screening in 2006 [PubMed] and 2014 [PubMed]
  • The Japanese Guideline for Lung cancer screening in 2006
  • The Evidence Report for Prostate cancer screening in 2008 [PubMed]
  • The Japanese Guideline for Cervical cancer screening in 2009 and 2019 [PubMed]
  • The Japanese Guideline for Breast cancer screening in 2014 [PubMed]
Currently, we work on updating the guidelines for colorectal and lung cancer.

Quality control of cancer screening

Quality control method for population-based cancer screening was set in 2008 and has been monitored by quality control indicators. More than 10 years have passed, and the indicators have improved, we are considering setting more appropriate values. Although quality control has not been performed in workplace cancer screening, we are promoting the provision of high-quality screening by analyzing and examining hearings from insurers.

Development of new quality control method

Quality control of cancer screening in workplace has not been performed, because it is not possible to grasp the screening data. We trying to build a process indicators of cancer screening in workplace, for easy and quick evaluation of cancer screening in the near future.

 

Research activities

Collaboration with the studies to evaluate the effectiveness of cancer screening

At present, our division plays a role of contributing to randomized controlled trials and a cohort study to evaluate the effectiveness of cancer screening.

A Randomized controlled trial (Akita study) to evaluate screening for colon cancer used by total colonography has competed recruitment at end of March, 2017(a total of 9,751 persons). Then, follow up study is ongoing used demographic survey and regional cancer registry. [PubMed]

A Cohort study to evaluate screening for cervical cancer used HPV test and Pap smear has passed the midpoint of the total study period to perform the 3rd round screening for participants registered in 2014. [PubMed]

Established a follow-up team for an ongoing randomized controlled trial (JECS study) of lung cancer screening using low-dose CT, and started organizing data on up to 10,000 persons and detailed examination results and prognostic information. [PubMed]

Development of cancer screening guidelines and related issues

Since 2003, our research groups funded by the National Cancer Center have developed cancer screening guidelines based on established methods in reference to international standards. Screening guidelines have been published as below: stomach (2006, 2014), colorectal (2005), lung (2006), prostate (2008), cervical (2009, 2019), and breast cancer (2014).

The guideline for cervical cancer screening has been renewed in 2019. Both Pap test and HPV test were recommended as grade A recommendation.

In addition, we examined the upper age limit for colorectal cancer screening using a microsimulation model, and showed that the increase in harm was more pronounced than the benefit from screening over age 80 years old. 

Implementation / De-implementation study of cancer screening

To facilitate the evidence-based cancer screening in Japan, we got started the implementation and de-implementation study for cervical cancer screening since 2020. Our research group conducts the survey about the cervical cancer screening using a self-sampling pap smear at workplace.

Quality assurance of cancer screening

Proses indicator of population-based screening has improving, and we are considering to set a baseline value by estimating the prevalence rate of cancer screening. In addition, we will develop the application of process indicators for cancer screening in workplace. We conducted interview surveys with cooperation insurer groups about the problems of cancer screening at workplace.

Evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 on cancer screening and cancer medical care

Cancer screening and cancer medical care are affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Although there are differences depending on the hospital and region, it is possible to take appropriate measures by grasping accurate data as soon as possible. With the cooperation of domestic researchers and screening organizations, we aim to provide data that can be objectively examined.


List of papers published in 2020

Journal

  1. 松本 綾希子, 高橋 宏和, 角田 博子, 鈴木 昭彦, 植松 孝悦, 笠原 善郎．コロナウイルスの流行が乳がん検診受診意図に与えた影響について．日本乳癌検診学会誌2021 年 30 巻 1 号 p. 55-59
  2. Taniguchi M, Ueda Y, Yagi A, Miyoshi A, Tanaka Y, Minekawa R, Endo M, Tomimatsu T, Hirai K, Nakayama T, Kimura T. Disparity of Cervical Cancer Risk in Young Japanese Women： Bipolarized Status of HPV Vaccination and Cancer Screening.Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Mar 19;9(3)：280. doi： 10.3390/vaccines9030280.PMID： 33808630
  3. 中山富雄．【健康診断と予防医学】わが国の代表的ながん検診の現状とエビデンス　大腸がん検診.　Medical Practice 2021;38(2)：271-273
  4. Kono K, Morisada T, Saika K, Saitoh-Aoki E, Miyagi E, Ito K, Takahashi H, Nakayama T, Saito H, and Aoki D. The first-round results of a population-based cohort study of HPV testing in Japanese cervical cancer screening： baseline characteristics, screening results, and referral rate. J Gynecol Oncol. (Impact factor=3.304) 2021;32：e29. Published online Jan 26, 2021.  https：//doi.org/10.3802/jgo.2021.32.e29　
  5. Yagi A, Ueda Y, Matsuda T, Ikeda S, Miyatake T, Nakagawa S, Hirai K, Nakayama T, Miygagi E, Enomoto T, Kimura T. Japanese mothers’ intention to HPV vaccinate their daughters： How has it changed over time because of the prolonged suspension of the governmental recommendation?  Vaccine 2020, 8, 502; doi： 10.3390/vaccines8030502.
  6. Aoe J, Ito Y, Fukui K, Nakayama M, Morishima T, Miyashiro I, Sobue T, Nakayama T. Long-term trends in sex difference in bladder cancer survival 1975-2009： A population-based study in Osaka, Japan. Cancer Med 2020 Aug 13. Doi： 10.1002/cam3.3382
  7. 濱 秀聡, 田淵 貴大, 中山 富雄, 宮代 勲．大阪府内市町村における大腸がん検診の個別受診勧奨の実態．厚生の指標 2020;67(8)：9-15
  8. Saito H, Kudo SE, Takahashi N, Yamamoto S, Kodama K, Nagata K, Mizota Y, Ishida F, Ohashi Y. Efficacy of screening using annual fecal immunochemical test alone versus combined with one-time colonoscopy in reducing colorectal cancer mortality： the Akita Japan population-based colonoscopy screening trial (Akita pop-colon trial).Int J Colorectal Dis. 2020 Feb 7. doi： 10.1007/s00384-020-03518-w
  9. Nakagiri T, Nakayama T, Tokunaga T, Takenaka A, Kunoh H, Ishida H, Tomita Y, Nakatsuka SI, Nakamura H, Okami J, Higashiyama M. Novel Imprint Cytological Classification for Small Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma Using Surgical Specimens： Comparison with the 8th Lung Cancer Staging System and Histopathological Classification. J Cancer. 2020 Feb 21;11(10)：2845-2851. doi： 10.7150/jca.35027. eCollection 2020. PMID： 32226502
  10. Nakagiri T, Nakayama T, Tokunaga T, Takenaka A, Kunoh H, Ishida H, Tomita Y,  Nakatsuka S, Nakamura H, Okami J, Higashiyama M.　Intraoperative Diagnosis and Surgical Procedure with Imprint Cytology for Small Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma J Cancer 2020; 11(10)：2724-2729. doi：10.7150/jca.35026
  11. 佐川 元保, 中山 富雄, 芦澤 和人, 負門 克典, 小林 健, 櫻田 晃, 佐藤 雅美, 澁谷 潔, 祖父江 友孝, 竹中 大祐, 西井 研治, 原田 眞雄, 前田 寿美子, 丸山 雄一郎, 三浦 弘之, 三友 英紀, 村田 喜代史, 室田 真希子, 日本肺癌学会肺がん検診委員会. 「肺がん検診の手引き」2020改訂のねらい　特に「読影医の条件」と「症例検討会の実施」について. 肺癌2020;60(7)：929-935
  12. 高橋則晃、中尾睦宏.　実践統計解析超入門　無料でも誰でも簡単に.　行動医学研究2020; 25(2)：176-181
  13. Masaoka H, Matsuo K, Oze I, Ito H, Naito M, Wada K, Nagata C, Nakayama T, Kitamura Y, Sadakane A, Tamakoshi A, Tsuji I, Sugawara Y, Sawada N, Mizoue T, Inoue M, Tanaka K, Tsugane S, Shimazu T. Alcohol Drinking and Bladder Cancer Risk From a Pooled Analysis of Ten Cohort Studies in Japan. J Epidemiol. 2020 Jul 7;30(7)：309-313. doi： 10.2188/jea.JE20190014. Epub 2019 Jun 15. PMID： 31204364