Preface
Thirty-nine years have passed since
the Ministry of Health and Welfare established the National Cancer Center
as the sole government-supported cancer center in Japan in 1962. The National
Cancer Center consists of a hospital, a research institute, and an administration
department. In 1993, a new hospital, the National Cancer Center Hospital East,
was opened in Kashiwa City, Chiba, about 40 km east of the present National
Cancer Center in Tsukiji, Tokyo. The hospitals work cooperatively, with some
patients treated solely at Kashiwa or at Tsukiji and others referred between
the two hospitals.
The hospital in Tsukiji consists of 12 divisions,
which are described in the following pages. As of January 1, 2001, the hospital
staff consists of 116 staff doctors, 21 pharmacists, 82 technicians, 421 nurses,
and 100 residents and chief residents. The basic policies of the hospital
are (1) to make early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, (2) to improve the
treatment results for presently intractable cancers, (3) to achieve the best
quality of life for patients after definitive therapy, and (4) to develop
new procedures for primary cancer prevention and treatment. The hospital accepts
about 60 foreign and 200-250 Japanese trainees every year. In 2000, 207,242
persons were treated as inpatients and 206,667 were treated as outpatients.
In 1991 the government approved construction
of a new 19-story hospital building at the present location, Tsukiji, to further
integrate sophisticated facilities such as developmental therapeutic wards
for presently intractable cancers and a cancer information center that provides
a significant increase in patient amenities. The new hospital building was
completed at the end of 1998 and successfully started its activities in January
1999. Having patients receive the highest quality of treatment in a comfortable
setting is a top priority in this new hospital. Clinical activities are based
on organ site, without distinction between surgical or medical treatment.
Group participation is the method used to manage clinical decision-making
regarding patient care.
In 1994, a supercomputer system was introduced
to facilitate the effective use of clinical data, to construct three-dimensional
images for diagnosis, planning, and simulation of surgery, and for radiotherapy
planning. A computer network system connects the National Cancer Center in
Tsukiji and the National Cancer Center East in Kashiwa. This network system
was expanded to include four national hospitals specializing in cancer therapy
in Sapporo, Kure, Matsuyama, and Fukuoka, for TV conferences, telepathology,
and teleradiology. In 2000, the network system was further expanded to include
eight prefectural cancer hospitals, for a total of 14 institutions connected.
In 2001, Ministry of Health and Welfare
and Ministry of Labour have been combined to achieve higher efficiency in
a small government. Thus, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare presently
directs activities of National Cancer Center.
This is the 6th "Annual Report"
to summarize the clinical and research activities of the National Cancer Center
Hospital together with a list of papers published in English in the year covered
by the report.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation
for the support we have received from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,
other governmental organizations, private organizations, individuals, and
the Foundation for the Promotion of Cancer Research. I also appreciate the
efforts of my colleagues in the hospital who devoted themselves to providing
complete and accurate information for this report. I would like to dedicate
this annual report to the patients who have continuously supported and stimulated
us.
March 2001
Tadao Kakizoe, M.D.
Director, National Cancer Center Hospital
