Annual Report 2024

Division of Health Services Research

Hiroyuki Mano, Tatsuya Suzuki, Tomone Watanabe, Yoko Yamamoto, Taisuke Ishii, Mariko Niino, Tamaki Kakuwa, Rei Goto, Hiroko Suketomo, Ayako Okuyama, Takahiro Higashi, Shunsuke Murata, Yuri Ito, Masato Ohta, Yasuo Hamamoto, Soshiro Ogata, Takehiro Sugiyama, Junna Sakane, Kiyomasa Nakatsuka, Yu Mizushima, Atsushi Miyawaki, Mieko Takasawa, Ryoko Rikitake, Yuichi Ichinose, Akira Kawata, Makoto Nishimori, Toshitaka Morishima, Junko Koseki, Yukiko Okumura

Introduction

 The Division of Health Services Research conducts research that contributes to the improvement of the quality of cancer care in Japan through rigorous evaluation of health systems and health policy performance.

The Team and What We Do

1. Cancer registry-linked DPC database

  As part of our ongoing initiative to monitor the quality of cancer care in Japan using a database of cancer registry-linked DPC data, we continued developing the database for cancer patients diagnosed in 2022. Data from 640 hospitals were analyzed for adherence to clinical guideline-based standards using existing Quality Indicators (QIs) across various cancers. Furthermore, for patients diagnosed in 2021, feedback reports were created based on voluntarily submitted reasons from institutions regarding patients who did not receive standard cancer care. Additionally, to establish new QIs related to genomic medicine, we convened an expert panel and conducted data analysis.

2. Rare Cancer Control Policy

 Since the previous fiscal year, the Division of Quality Assurance Programs has been in charge of revising the policy for rare cancer control, and our division has proceeded with the project in cooperation.

3. Monitoring and Evaluation of National Cancer Control Programs

 The Division of Health Services Research continued evaluating the recent Cancer Control Policy in Japan. The third survey of cancer patient experience was launched in fiscal year 2023. We analyzed the results of 14,797 patients across 382 hospitals and prepared a report.

 The division also participates in a project to establish appropriate evaluation indicators to assess the overall function of designated cancer care hospitals (DCCHs) across Japan. With the aim of creating a logic model based on the guidelines for DCCHs, surveys and interviews were conducted. The logic model was finalized based on survey findings and insights from DCCHs.

Research Activities

 As part of the Quality Indicator (QI) study on cancer treatment, we collected cancer registry linked DPC data for patients diagnosed with cancer in 2021, collected from 649 hospitals, and analyzed 86 QIs. The results were fed back to each participating hospital, and a report was presented.

Education

 We hosted visiting researchers from the University of Tokyo and provided them with ongoing training. Additionally, a researcher from the division delivered lectures at the University of Tsukuba.

Future Prospects

 The division aims to facilitate evidence-based policymaking and improve the care of cancer patients by monitoring the performance of cancer policy and quality of care among cancer treatment centers across the country. To this end, we provide an information-exchange platform and robust baseline data to support data-driven dialogue among specialists, policymakers, and various stakeholders.

List of papers published in 2024

Journal

1. Torasawa M, Yoshida T, Shiraishi K, Goto N, Ueno T, Ichikawa H, Yagishita S, Kohsaka S, Goto Y, Yatabe Y, Hamada A, Mano H, Ohe Y. Rapid response to lenvatinib and disease flare after discontinuation in a patient with thymic carcinoma harboring KIT exon 11 mutation: a case report. JTO Clin Res Rep. 2024 Apr;5(4):100657. doi: 10.1016/j.jtocrr.2024.100657.

2. Kohsaka S, Yagishita S, Shirai Y, Matsuno Y, Ueno T, Kojima S, Ikeuchi H, Ikegami M, Kitada R, Yoshioka KI, Toshimitsu K, Tabata K, Yokoi A, Doi T, Yamamoto N, Owa T, Hamada A, Mano H. A molecular glue RBM39-degrader induces synthetic lethality in cancer cells with homologous recombination repair deficiency. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2024 May 24;8(1):117. doi: 10.1038/s41698-024-00610-0.

3. Kawase K, Taguchi A, Ishizaka A, Lin J, Ueno T, Yoshimoto D, Eguchi S, Mori S, Sone K, Mori M, Yonekura S, Hanazawa T, Maeda D, Kukimoto I, Mano H, Osuga Y, Kawana K, Kawazu M. Allelic loss of HLA class I facilitates evasion from immune surveillance in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. HLA. 2024 Jun;103(6):e15509. doi: 10.1111/tan.15509.

4. Machitani M, Nomura A, Yamashita T, Yasukawa M, Ueki S, Fujita KI, Ueno T, Yamashita A, Tanzawa Y, Watanabe M, Taniguchi T, Saitoh N, Kaneko S, Kato Y, Mano H, Masutomi K. Maintenance of R-loop structures by phosphorylated hTERT preserves genome integrity. Nat Cell Biol. 2024 Jun;26(6):932-945. doi: 10.1038/s41556-024-01427-5

5. Mukohara F, Iwata K, Ishino T, Inozume T, Nagasaki J, Ueda Y, Suzawa K, Ueno T, Ikeda H, Kawase K, Saeki Y, Kawashima S, Yamashita K, Kawahara Y, Nakamura Y, Honobe-Tabuchi A, Watanabe H, Dansako H, Kawamura T, Suzuki Y, Honda H, Mano H, Toyooka S, Kawazu M, Togashi Y. Somatic mutations in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes impact on antitumor immunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Aug 27;121(35):e2320189121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2320189121.

6. Kage H, Kohsaka S, Tatsuno K, Watanabe K, Shinozaki-Ushiku A, Isago H, Ushiku T, Aburatani H, Mano H, Oda K. Molecular analysis of non-small cell lung cancer using a dual-targeted DNA and RNA comprehensive genomic profiling panel. Respir Investig. 2024 Sep;62(5):910-913. doi: 10.1016/j.resinv.2024.07.018.

7. Hirose T, Ikegami M, Kida K, Ueno T, Kitada R, Wang L, Tanaka S, Endo M, Nakashima Y, Kanomata N, Mano H, Yamauchi H, Kohsaka S. Cancer risk assessment of premalignant breast tissues from patients with BRCA mutations by genome profiling. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2024 Oct 4;10(1):87. doi: 10.1038/s41523-024-00693-9.

8. Ikeuchi H, Matsuno Y, Kusumoto-Matsuo R, Kojima S, Ueno T, Ikegami M, Kitada R, Sumiyoshi-Okuma H, Kojima Y, Yonemori K, Yatabe Y, Takamochi K, Suzuki K, Yoshioka KI, Mano H, Kohsaka S. GLI1 confers resistance to PARP inhibitors by activating the DNA damage repair pathway. Oncogene. 2024 Oct;43(41):3037-3048. doi: 10.1038/s41388-024-03105-1.

9. Terada N, Koba H, Nanjo S, Kimura H, Nishiyama A, Yoneda T, Takeda T, Shirasaki H, Nishi K, Sone T, Yamada T, Takayama K, Shibata K, Matsuoka H, Kita T, Nagata K, Tambo Y, Ohkura N, Hara J, Kasahara K, Kohsaka S, Mano H, Yano S. EGFR-V834L combined with L858R mutation reduced afatinib sensitivity and associated to early recurrence in lung cancer. Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2024 Nov 30;13(11):3067-3082. doi: 10.21037/tlcr-24-471.

10. Ikeda H, Kawase K, Nishi T, Watanabe T, Takenaga K, Inozume T, Ishino T, Aki S, Lin J, Kawashima S, Nagasaki J, Ueda Y, Suzuki S, Makinoshima H, Itami M, Nakamura Y, Tatsumi Y, Suenaga Y, Morinaga T, Honobe-Tabuchi A, Ohnuma T, Kawamura T, Umeda Y, Nakamura Y, Kiniwa Y, Ichihara E, Hayashi H, Ikeda JI, Hanazawa T, Toyooka S, Mano H, Suzuki T, Osawa T, Kawazu M, Togashi Y. Immune evasion through mitochondrial transfer in the tumour microenvironment. Nature. 2025 Feb;638(8049):225-236. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08439-0.

11. Bando H, Kumagai S, Kotani D, Mishima S, Irie T, Itahashi K, Tanaka Y, Habu T, Fukaya S, Kondo M, Tsushima T, Hara H, Kadowaki S, Kato K, Chin K, Yamaguchi K, Kageyama SI, Hojo H, Nakamura M, Tachibana H, Wakabayashi M, Fukui M, Fuse N, Koyama S, Mano H, Nishikawa H, Shitara K, Yoshino T, Kojima T. Atezolizumab following definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma - a multicenter phase 2 trial (EPOC1802). Nat Cancer. 2025 Feb 19;doi: 10.1038/s43018-025-00918-1.

12. Wada S, Ishii T, Ogata D, Nakano E, Namikawa K, Yamazaki N, Higashi T. Clinical Features and Prognosis of Malignant Cutaneous Adnexal Tumors: A Retrospective Study Using a Japanese Database. J Surg Oncol 2024 Dec 9 online ahead; doi:10.1002/jso.28012.

13. Kakuwa T, Watanabe T, Niino M, Kawata A, Satoh T, Matsumura N, Yokoyama Y, Kawana K, Hirashima Y, Kyo S, Yasuda M, Harano K, Machida H, Tokunaga H, Kaneuchi M, Tabata T, Kobayashi Y, Nagase S, Katabuchi H, Mikami M, Yamamoto Y, Rikitake R, Ichinose Y, Higashi T. Quality of care measurement for patients with ovarian cancer in Japan. J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2024; 50(7): 1182-1191.

14. Sugiyama T, Furuno T, Ichinose Y, Iwagami M, Ihana-Sugiyama N, Imai K, Kakuwa T, Rikitake R, Ohsugi M, Higashi T, Iso H, Ueki K. Assessment of cancer risk associated with 7-nitroso-3-(trifluoromethyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro[1,2,4] triazolo-[4,3-a]pyrazine-contaminated sitagliptin use: A retrospective cohort study. J Diabetes Investig. 2024 Nov;15(11):1556-1565. doi: 10.1111/jdi.14281.

15. Nakai H, Higashi T, Kakuwa T, Matsumura N. Trends in gynecologic cancer in Japan: incidence from 1980 to 2019 and mortality from 1981 to 2021. Int J Clin Oncol. 2024 Apr;29(4):363-371. doi: 10.1007/s10147-024-02473-8. Epub 2024 Feb 21.

16. Watanabe T, Ichinose Y, Toida T, Higashi T. Validity of patient-reported information: agreement rate between patient reports and registry data. BMC Health Serv Res. 2025 Jan 31;25(1):182. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-12324-5.

17. Ichinose Y, Toida T, Watanabe T, Wakita T, Higashi T. Differences in experiences of patients with advanced cancer in Japan from 3 to 6 years after diagnosis. J Cancer Surviv. 2025 Feb 13. doi: 10.1007/s11764-025-01761-0. Epub ahead of print.