Preface
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 patients with cancer. This innovation was the first departure from the established models for national hospitals and has been a model for similar facilities in Japan.
Approximately 10 years has passed since the Hospital was opened. During
this period our clinical activities have been remarkably enriched. In
April 1994, The National Cancer Center Research Institute East was opened
at the same Campus, and this was the start of collaboration between staff
members in the research institute and the hospital. Many joint projects
are now ongoing in the fields of surgical pathology, molecular biology,
developmental therapeutics, psycho-oncology, and clinical epidemiology.
In April 1997, NCCHE became the second hospital in the world to have proton
therapy equipment available for patients. After long investigation at
inquiry commission of the Drugs, Cosmetics and Medical Instruments Act
and so on, it was finally approved to be applicable for the treatment
of solid tumors as clinical practice in the end of February 2001. In addition,
positron emission tomography (PET) came to be in operation in January
2001, and hundreds of patients have been examined up to the present.
As of January 1, 2002, the hospital staff included 73 physicians including
16 part-timers, 10 pharmacists including 1 part-timer, 36 technicians,
250 nurses including 6 part-timers and 47 residents. During 2001, we took
care of 126, 371 outpatients (including 7,465 newcomers) and 6,608 inpatients
including 1.965 cases who underwent surgery under general anesthesia.
The number of patients treated continues to increase (9-13% of increase
compared with the preceding year), 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 our hospital is not very long since the firm
was established, quite a few papers listed on the following pages were
published in various international journals in 2001, 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 the Ministry of Health, Labor 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 2002
Satoshi Ebihara, M.D.
Director, National Cancer Center Hospital East
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