Annual Report 2022
Division of International Health Policy Research
Tomohiro Matsuda, Norie Sawada, Laureline Gatellier, Rieko Kanehara, Rina Katayama, Kayo Nakata, Mark Gunter, Kumiko Saika, Sumiyo Okawa, Hadrien Charvat, Heinz Freisling, Asako Umeda, Erica Nakao, Wakaba Hamamatsu, Akane Taminaga
Introduction
Viewing cancer as a global health issue to be tackled in Asia and the entire world, the division is involved in standardizing the international code or rule-setting and research methods, and improving the research level of Asian countries. Through these activities, we will establish a research infrastructure of public health sciences.
The Team and What We Do
Besides establishing a research infrastructure, our objective is to connect to more large-scale research and domestic/overseas projects by starting up pioneering model research with international organizations, overseas research institutions and cancer centers, the 6NCs (The 6 National Research Center for Advanced and Specialized Medical Care in Japan) etc., and then demonstrating research outcomes. Our research includes international comparative studies for setting standards and guidelines in cancer registration/statistics and cancer diagnosis and screening, infrastructure development such as cancer registration, and the proposal of cancer control measures based on research on cancer policy. Furthermore, our research spans from basic research to clinical trials, treatment, care and survivorship of rare cancers such as pediatric cancer. We proactively work together with other departments of the National Cancer Center.
Research Activities
1. Cancer Policy Research and Proposition of Common Cancer Control Measures
We jointly operate the secretariat of the Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA), which serves as an international research platform for 21 national cancer centers in the member countries, making it possible to study, compare and analyze the healthcare system and cancer control of each country. In addition to the results of the analysis, with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Division of Prevention, we are moving forward with the project on the Asian Code against Cancer and aim to standardize common Asian cancer control measures based on scientific evidence.
2. Development of Population-Based Cancer Registries (PBCR) and Estimation of Cancer Incidence in Asia
As a Collaborative Center designated by IARC, we take part in the Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (GICR) to standardize cancer registration and cancer statistics. Based on a Memorandum of Understanding with Vital Strategies, we disseminate the standardized rules to Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and other Asian countries. We apply statistical models to estimate the cancer incidence in these areas.
3. Estimation of the Burden of Rare Cancers and Collaboration with Clinical Trials in Asia
Under the framework of Rare Cancers Asia, we worked together with South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and India to launch RARECAREnet Asia, which provides estimations of the burden (incidence, survival and prevalence) of rare cancers including pediatric cancers. We have published the rare cancers databook based on international standard classifications using the National Cancer Registry data. Moreover, we are collaboratively implementing the project ATLAS for infrastructure development of clinical trials in Asia led by the Division of International Clinical Development of the National Cancer Center Hospital.
4. Clinical Research with Population-Based Cancer Statistics as an Entry Point
With IARC and IKNL Netherlands, we are implementing a long-term follow-up research for cancer patients based on population-based cancer statistics. To conduct this research, under the initiative of the Population-based Cohort Study Section of the Division of Cohort Consortium Research, we are proceeding to establish a collaborative section with IARC.
5. Standardization of Childhood Cancer Staging, Survival Estimation, and Development of Statistical Infrastructure
Cooperating with Italy and the UK, we are conducting survival analysis (BENCHISTA Project) by applying the standard rules, Toronto Childhood Cancer Stage Guidelines, which was proposed by a research group led by the Cancer Council Queensland of Australia, to Japanese clinical/PBCR data. We are also participating in the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) promoted by the WHO, and are involved in the development of statistical infrastructures for childhood cancer together with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, USA.
6. Development of Data Sharing Technologies Disentailing Transactions of Individual Information
Considering the strict personal information protection rules nowadays, especially in international collaborative research, we are planning to shift from constructing big databases to virtual data sharing technologies (Vantage6) without exchanging individual information, with IKNL Netherlands. We were able to introduce Vantage6 to Asian countries and conduct a remote analysis of survival rates for head and neck cancers.
Education
We had observership researchers from IKNL in the Netherlands and Chiang Mai University in Thailand; involved in research and thesis writing guidance of researchers mainly from Southeast Asian countries within the framework of ANCCA.
Future Prospects
We will work to pioneer and launch model international collaborative research, which will lead to research on a larger scale and national and international projects. We will be conscious of cross-disciplinary collaboration with hospitals, research institutes, and external organizations from the research design stage, without being bound by organizational boundaries.
List of papers published in 2022
Journal
1. Taniyama Y, Oze I, Koyanagi YN, Kawakatsu Y, Ito Y, Matsuda T, Matsuo K, Mitsudomi T, Ito H. Changes in survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer in Japan: An interrupted time series study. Cancer science, 114:1154-1164, 2023
2. Murai U, Sawada N, Charvat H, Inoue M, Yasuda N, Yamagishi K, Tsugane S. Soy product intake and risk of incident disabling dementia: the JPHC Disabling Dementia Study. European journal of nutrition, 61:4045-4057, 2022
3. Nguyen PT, Katanoda K, Saito E, Hori M, Nakayama T, Matsuda T. Trends in lung cancer incidence by gender, histological type and stage at diagnosis in Japan, 1993 to 2015: A multiple imputation approach. International journal of cancer, 151:20-32, 2022
4. Pilleron S, Alqurini N, Ferlay J, Haase KR, Hannan M, Janssen-Heijnen M, Kantilal K, Katanoda K, Kenis C, Lu-Yao G, Matsuda T, Navarrete E, Nikita N, Puts M, Strohschein FJ, Morris EJA. International trends in cancer incidence in middle-aged and older adults in 44 countries. Journal of geriatric oncology, 13:346-355, 2022
5. Inoue M, Hirabayashi M, Abe SK, Katanoda K, Sawada N, Lin Y, Ishihara J, Takachi R, Nagata C, Saito E, Goto A, Ueda K, Tanaka J, Hori M, Matsuda T. Burden of cancer attributable to modifiable factors in Japan in 2015. Global health & medicine, 4:26-36, 2022
6. Soerjomataram I, Bardot A, Aitken J, Piñeros M, Znaor A, Steliarova-Foucher E, Kohler B, Bettio M, Matsuda T, de Camargo Cancela M, Mery L, Bray F. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population-based cancer registry. International journal of cancer, 150:273-278, 2022
7. Ma E, Shimazu T, Song M, Charvat H, Sawada N, Yamaji T, Inoue M, Camargo MC, Kemp TJ, Pfeiffer RM, Pinto LA, Rabkin CS, Tsugane S. Circulating Inflammation Markers and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: A Prospective Case-Cohort Study in Japan. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention, 31:236-241, 2022
8. Nakata K, Hiyama E, Katanoda K, Matsuda T, Tada Y, Inoue M, Kawa K, Maru M, Shimizu C, Horibe K, Miyashiro I. Cancer in adolescents and young adults in Japan: epidemiology and cancer strategy. International journal of clinical oncology, 27:7-15, 2022
9. Charvat H, Freisling H, Noh H, Gaudet MM, Gunter MJ, Cross AJ, Tsilidis KK, Tjønneland A, Katzke V, Bergmann M, Agnoli C, Rylander C, Skeie G, Jakszyn P, Rosendahl AH, Sund M, Severi G, Tsugane S, Sawada N, Brenner H, Adami HO, Weiderpass E, Soerjomataram I, Arnold M. Excess Body Fatness during Early to Mid-Adulthood and Survival from Colorectal and Breast Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of Five International Cohort Studies. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention, 31:325-333, 2022
10. Kawakita D, Oze I, Iwasaki S, Matsuda T, Matsuo K, Ito H. Trends in the incidence of head and neck cancer by subsite between 1993 and 2015 in Japan. Cancer medicine, 11:1553-1560, 2022
11. Saito E, Yano T, Hori M, Yoneoka D, Matsuda T, Chen Y, Katanoda K. Is young-onset esophageal adenocarcinoma increasing in Japan? An analysis of population-based cancer registries. Cancer medicine, 11:1347-1356, 2022
12. Sawada N, Nakaya T, Kashima S, Yorifuji T, Hanibuchi T, Charvat H, Yamaji T, Iwasaki M, Inoue M, Iso H, Tsugane S. Long-term exposure to fine particle matter and all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in Japan: the JPHC Study. BMC public health, 22:466, 2022
13. Matsuda T, Charvat H. International variations in lymphoma incidence in children and adolescents. Japanese journal of clinical oncology, 52:399-401, 2022
14. Li M, Chen WJ, Yang J, Charvat H, Xie SH, Li T, Ling W, Lu YQ, Liu Q, Hong MH, Cao SM. Association between solid fuel use and seropositivity against Epstein-Barr virus in a high-risk area for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987), 304:119184, 2022
15. Ihira H, Sawada N, Inoue M, Yasuda N, Yamagishi K, Charvat H, Iwasaki M, Tsugane S. Association Between Physical Activity and Risk of Disabling Dementia in Japan. JAMA network open, 5:e224590, 2022
16. Gatellier L, Matsuda T. International variations in central nervous system incidence in children and adolescents. Japanese journal of clinical oncology, 52:509-511, 2022
17. Morgan E, Arnold M, Camargo MC, Gini A, Kunzmann AT, Matsuda T, Meheus F, Verhoeven RHA, Vignat J, Laversanne M, Ferlay J, Soerjomataram I. The current and future incidence and mortality of gastric cancer in 185 countries, 2020-40: A population-based modelling study. EClinicalMedicine, 47:101404, 2022
18. Kohls M, Freisling H, Charvat H, Soerjomataram I, Viallon V, Davila-Batista V, Kaaks R, Turzanski-Fortner R, Aleksandrova K, Schulze MB, Dahm CC, Tilma Vistisen H, Rostgaard-Hansen AL, Tjønneland A, Bonet C, Sánchez MJ, Colorado-Yohar S, Masala G, Palli D, Krogh V, Ricceri F, Rolandsson O, Lu SSM, Tsilidis KK, Weiderpass E, Gunter MJ, Ferrari P, Berger U, Arnold M. Impact of cumulative body mass index and cardiometabolic diseases on survival among patients with colorectal and breast cancer: a multi-centre cohort study. BMC cancer, 22:546, 2022
19. Charvat H, Nakata K. International variations in renal tumours incidence in children and adolescents. Japanese journal of clinical oncology, 52:795-797, 2022
20. Li M, Zhang L, Charvat H, Callister ME, Sasieni P, Christodoulou E, Kaaks R, Johansson M, Carvalho AL, Vaccarella S, Robbins HA. The influence of postscreening follow-up time and participant characteristics on estimates of overdiagnosis from lung cancer screening trials. International journal of cancer, 151:1491-1501, 2022
21. Gatellier L, Matsuda T. International variations in soft tissue sarcoma incidence in children and adolescents. Japanese journal of clinical oncology, 52:1250-1252, 2022
22. Matsuda T, Charvat H. International variations in germ cell tumours incidence in children and adolescents. Japanese journal of clinical oncology, 52:1355-1357, 2022
23. Nakata K, Charvat H. International variations in carcinoma and melanoma incidence in children and adolescents. Japanese journal of clinical oncology, 52:1452-1454, 2022