Annual Report 2021
Preface
Our society is rapidly aging and innovative medical technology addresses, societal needs for cancer control. Information on cancer is becoming more sophisticated and diverse. In order to address these needs and proactively propose flexible policies, the Center for Public Health Sciences and the Center for Cancer Control and Information Services were integrated as the Institute for Cancer Control (ICC) in September 2021.
The Prevention and Screening Research Group consists of the Division of Epidemiology, the Division of Prevention, the Division of Screening Assessment and Management, the Division of Screening Technology, and Division of Surveillance and Policy Evaluation. The Group conducts epidemiological studies to elucidate the etiology of cancer and other chronic diseases to provide effective prevention methods and evidence-based prevention guidelines. Furthermore, to educate the public about effective cancer screening, the Epidemiology and Prevention Research Group develops new cancer screening methods, conducts research on effectiveness and evaluation, and presents cancer screening guidelines as well as quality assurance methods for organized cancer screening. Additionally, the Group uses mathematical and statistical models to evaluate policy research that contributes to cancer evaluation, dissemination, and surveillance of prevention and screening methods based on scientific evidence.
The Group for Supportive Care and Survivorship Research consists of the Division of Behavioral Sciences, the Division of Supportive Care, Survivorship and Translational Research, and the Division of Healthcare Delivery, Survivorship and Policy Research. Aiming to extend healthy life expectancy in an aging society with a declining birthrate, we will develop behavioral interventions tailored to individuals and create evidence for new intervention methods that contribute to cancer control, including supportive and survivorship care. In addition, while conducting surveillance, we will develop strategic methods using implementation science to ensure that evidence-based interventions (EBIs) take root throughout the country in a reliable and rapid manner.
ICC has also established divisions that are responsible for fundamental areas, which are essential for promoting research on social medicine. They are the Division of Cohort Research, the Division of International Health Policy Research, the Division of Bioethics and Medical Law Research, and the Division of Biostatistics Research. Collaborating with the six Japanese national centers (NCs) for Advanced Medical Specialties, ICC has established a cross-sectional research infrastructure, capable of harmonizing large-scale cohort study data and collaborative analysis of cohort studies hosted within each NCs, along with promoting research including biostatistics and bioethics.
The Group for Cancer Control consist of the Division of Cancer Information Service, the Division of Quality Assurance Programs, the Division of Health Services Research, and the Center for Cancer Registries. We provide reliable cancer information through our website’s cancer information service. We also provide training for healthcare professionals at nationwide designated hospitals and are developing a nationwide cancer network, through the council of the prefectural designated cancer hospitals and the Association of clinical Cancer Center. On the other hand, we solve various problems with the medical system and clinical sites, and examine ways (conduct health service research) to build a system that provides necessary medical care to patients who need it. Our work toward developing such a system includes building a database for it. Furthermore, based on the Cancer Registration Act, we collect data from prefectures, organize reviews, and aggregate data as part of the nationwide cancer registration project. In addition to the national cancer registry, we also collect and publish data from in-hospital cancer registries of cancer designated hospitals, pediatric cancer hospitals, and other hospitals.
The Section for Comprehensive Research Planning and Promotion plans and manages cross-organizational activities and research that go beyond the activities of each specialized division, to collaborate with experts from different fields, which is necessary to implement Evidence-Based Policy Making (EBPM). Examples of cross-organizational projects that catered towards the needs of current society includes development and evaluation of the Fourth Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control Programs, creating fact sheets on cervical cancer control (including HPC vaccine, which active recommendation has been resumed from April 2022).
The Institute for Cancer Control aims to bring together diverse expertise of social medicine researchers, to create a multi-sectorial system that allows consistent implementation of research to policy implementation.
Hitoshi Nakagama, M.D., D.M.Sc. Health Sciences
Director, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control