Annual Report 2022
preface
Given the rapidly aging society and improvement of innovative medical technology, societal needs for cancer control and cancer information are becoming more sophisticated and diverse. In order to address these needs, the Institute for Cancer Control (ICC) has been promoting research to propose policies suited for the current society.
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 of cancer screening, and presents cancer screening guidelines as well as quality assurance methods for organized cancer screening. The Group also uses mathematical and statistical models to evaluate policy research that contributes to cancer evaluation, policy dissemination, and cancer 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 Japan, an aging society with a declining birthrate, we propose personalized behavioral interventions and create evidence for new intervention methods based on clinical trials. Through our work, we hope to contribute to improving cancer control, including the aspects of supportive, palliative, psychosocial, and survivorship care in Japan. These evidence-based interventions can then be integrated into clinical guidelines. Additionally, through cancer surveillance, we aim to develop strategic methods using implementation science to ensure that knowledge of evidence-based interventions is spread throughout the country in a reliable and rapid manner. Furthermore, to promote nationwide development studies in these areas, we have set up three study groups; J-SUPPORT, N-EQUITY, and SaQRA.
ICC also has divisions that are responsible for promoting social medicine research, namely, the Division of Cohort Research, the Division of International Health Policy Research, the Division of Bioethics and Healthcare Law, and the Division of Biostatistical Research. Utilizing the framework of cross-sectional infrastructure capable of large-scale cohort harmonization (six Japanese national centers for Advanced Medical Specialties), ICC allows an opportunity for collaborative analysis of cohort studies, while promoting research in the biostatistics and bioethics field.
The Group for Cancer Control consists 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 (ganjoho, or cancer information service). We also provide training for healthcare professionals as well as pathology consultation for nationwide designated cancer hospitals. We are currently developing a nationwide cancer network through a council of prefectural designated cancer hospitals and the Association of Clinical Cancer Centers. Additionally, we oversee the medical system and clinical sites and conduct health service research to build a database and a system that provide necessary medical care to patients. Furthermore, based on the Cancer Registration Act, we organize reviews, collect data from prefectures, 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.
The Section for Comprehensive Research Planning and Promotion plans and manages cross-organizational activities and research that go beyond each division’s specialization. Collaboration of experts from different fields is necessary to implement Evidence-Based Policy Making. Examples of tailored cross-organizational projects for the current society includes development and evaluation of the Fourth Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control Programs, creating fact sheets on cervical cancer control (including HPV vaccine, which active recommendation has been resumed from April 2022) and global contribution to development of guidelines for cancer prevention in Asia.
The Institute for Cancer Control aims to bring together diverse expertise of social medicine researchers to create a multi-sectorial system that bridges processes from research to policy implementation.
Hitoshi Nakagama, M.D., D.M.Sc.
Director, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control