Annual Report 2024
Preface
In fiscal year 2024, the National Cancer Center Hospital East (NCCHE) simultaneously advanced the stabilization of clinical services and the expansion of research activities. As recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, the hospital maintained a stable system for both outpatient and inpatient care. On the research front, the number of clinical trials and genomic analyses surpassed those of the previous year, further strengthening our role as a core clinical research hospital. Outpatient visits totaled approximately 390,000, with inpatient days reaching 116,000. There was a significant increase in surgeries, rising to 8,309 cases from 4,455 in the previous year. Robot-assisted surgeries expanded across multiple departments, including urology, gastrointestinal surgery, and gynecology, leading to wider adoption of minimally invasive treatments.
The number of cancer genome-related tests reached 2,384, and clinical trials totaled 1,198, both showing robust growth in patient and case numbers. The number of physicians involved in clinical research increased from 11.7 to 12.1, while the total number of clinical research support staff, including pharmacists and nurses, grew to 342. Support systems centered on the Clinical Research Coordinator Office and the Data Science Division were strengthened, and with ISO/CAP accreditation, the Data Science Division started full-scale utilization of real-world data, accelerating the international dissemination of research findings.
In research, the MONSTAR-3 project, based on SCRUM-Japan, expanded into hematologic malignancies and gastric cancer, deepening personalized medicine through multi-omics analysis. Through collaboration with the French ARCAD Foundation and the U.S. Mayo Clinic under ARCAD-Gastric, we built an international gastric cancer database, establishing NCCHE’s global leadership. In regenerative medicine, the Kashiwa-no-ha platform centered on CART was developed, and clinical trials for urinary incontinence treatment using adipose-derived stem cells commenced. Additionally, a company-sponsored trial for personalized neoantigen therapy using mRNA-4157 (V940) began, marking progress toward the practical application of novel therapies targeting patient-specific tumor mutations. Research on photoimmunotherapy and iPS cell applications also advanced, steadily developing cutting-edge medical technologies.
Significant progress was made in promoting medical digital transformation (DX). A telemedicine model was implemented in collaboration with Shonai Hospital, and remote assistance for laparoscopic surgery was launched, reducing patient travel burden and strengthening regional medical collaboration. In clinical trials, the introduction of eConsent, ePRO, and EDC integration enabled cost reduction and improved efficiency. The adoption of wearable devices for managing the health of on-site hotel guests is being expanded to home monitoring, further broadening the implementation of medical DX.
Regarding industrial support and international collaboration, the NCC Venture Incubation Program (NCC VIP) supported 19 teams over three phases, selecting startups nationwide in drug discovery and medical devices. IPOs and M&A cases have been generated, accelerating the formation of domestic and international ecosystems. Furthermore, a comprehensive partnership was established with the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in the United States, launching the "J-ACT Program" to support Japanese startups entering the U.S. market. This collaboration with one of the world’s largest life science clusters adds a new dimension to our international industrial support framework and further expands NCCHE’s global activities.
Compared to the previous year, there was a remarkable increase in the number of surgeries and the expansion of robot-assisted procedures across several departments. The number of clinical trials and genomic tests also grew, and international collaborative research extended into gastric and hematologic cancers. Medical DX initiatives advanced with greater trial efficiency and telemedicine implementation, while industrial support expanded both domestically and internationally, notably with the addition of the U.S. TMC partnership. These achievements not only underscore NCCHE’s role as a core clinical research hospital but also further elevate its status as an international research hub.
Looking ahead, NCCHE is committed to providing world-class cancer care and accelerating the practical application of innovative therapies. Our priorities include advancing personalized medicine, nationwide deployment of medical DX, and strengthening startup support through global partnerships. We aim to deliver optimal treatments to patients swiftly and to realize the implementation of new therapies in society through collaboration with domestic and international research institutions and companies. The achievements of fiscal year 2024 have firmly established a foundation for further progress and represent a significant step toward our future development.
Toshihiko Doi
Director, National Cancer Center Hospital East