Satoshi Ebihara, M.D.
Director, National Cancer Center Hospital East
The National Cancer Center Hospital East (NCCHE), established as a result of merging of The National Kashiwa and The National Sanitarium Matsudo Hospitals, was opened on July 1, 1992, in the city of Kashiwa, Chiba, which is about 30 kilometers north-east of Tokyo. The Hospital has 425 beds and consists of 8 clinical divisions described on the following pages. Its main aim is the development of new techniques for diagnosis and treatment of refractory cancers, such as those of the lung, liver and pancreatobiliary system. There is also a focus on clinical practice and research on the treatment of cancers involving the digestive tract, head and neck, breast, hematopoietic system, and pelvic organs. Unique to this Hospital is a special emphasis on quality of life (QOL) for cancer patients. One prominent example is the establishment of the Palliative Care Unit (PCU) annexed to the main building, where staff members are devoted to alleviating the distress of terminally ill cancer patients. This innovation was the first departure from the established models for national hospitals and has been a model for similar facilities in Japan.
In April 1994, The National Cancer Center Research Institute East was opened at the Kashiwa Campus. This was the starting point of collaboration between staff members in the research institute and the hospital. Many joint projects are now ongoing in the fields of surgical pathology, tumor biology, developmental therapeutics, psycho-oncology, and clinical epidemiology.
In April 1997, the NCCHE became the second hospital in the world to have proton therapy equipment available for patients (the first was the Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, California). After the test run, phase I/II studies for head and neck, and lung cancers, as well as a phase II study for liver cancer had been conducted in 1999 to obtain the approval of the Drugs, Cosmetics and Medical Instruments Act. And it was finally approved in the end of February 2001, after the long investigation at the inquiry commission. Thus far, proton therapy has resulted in improved treatment of these malignancies, and we expect it to provide a new strategy for the treatment of other malignancies, such as loco-invasive prostate cancers, brain tumors and the like.
As of January 1, 2001, the hospital staff included 57 consultant physicians, 9 pharmacists, 38 technicians, 237 nurses and 46 residents. During 2000, we took care of 116, 152 outpatients (including 7,116 newcomers0 and 5,858 inpatients including 1.742 cases who underwent surgery under general anesthesia. The number of patients treated continues to increase, and except PCU, more than 400 patients are always in the waiting list for admission, despite few increases in the number of staff members and their great effort for shortening the hospital stay of inpatients. Nevertheless, all employees are trying their best to respond to the expanding demands of treating this increasing number of patients. Having overcome many difficulties and challenges since the initial opening of the hospital, we are now confident integrated cancer treatment center. Although we actually have clinical data for only eight and a half years, quite a few of the papers listed on the following pages were published in various international journals in 2000, showing that our work here is of international importance.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the support that we have received from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, other governmental organizations, private organizations, individuals and the Foundation for the Promotion of Cancer Research. In addition, I am grateful for the diligence of my colleagues in the hospital who have devoted their efforts and talent to publishing this report.
March, 2001
Satoshi Ebihara, M.D.
Director, National Cancer Center Hospital East
