Preface
The National Cancer Center was established in 1962 in Tsukiji, Tokyo, by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as the sole central-government-supported cancer center in Japan and consists of a Research Institute, Hospital, and Administration Department. Since its establishment, the Research Institute has been the nation's leading cancer research institution and one of the leading cancer research institutes in the world. In 1993, a new branch of the Research Institute, the National Cancer Center Research Institute East, and a new hospital, the National Cancer Center Hospital East, were opened in Kashiwa, Chiba, approximately 40 km east of the National Cancer Center in Tsukiji. Over the past 30 years there have been substantial changes, including an increase in the number of Divisions and a significant turnover of scientists and supporting members. Since its establishment, the basic and unifying purpose of the institute has been two-fold: to achieve the control of cancer by means of close collaboration with hospitals and the government, and to serve as the core research institute promoting cancer research in Japan. In 1996, as in prior years, there were two major areas of progress. The first was in molecular oncology, based on advances in molecular biology; the second was in the area of information and image analysis, supported by the development of computer science. The activity of each Division has been formally evaluated annually since 1994 by an evaluation committee, consisting of six members from outside the Center and one from within. As of 1996, each Division Chief is now responsible for annually presenting the activity of the Division before all members of the institute and the evaluation committee. In addition to a journal club meeting and a work conference held in each Division at least once a week, an institutional research conference followed by a discussion is held monthly, with three speakers from different Divisions presenting their results. The entire procedure is conducted in English.
In 1966 the Research Institute began annual publication of "Collected Papers," in which all of the articles published in English by the institute were compiled in book form. After 1992, however, publication of these "Collected Papers" was discontinued. This year, publication of small booklets, "Selected Papers," in which the titles of 100 representative papers were listed, was discontinued. An "Annual Report," first published as a joint 1992-1993 volume, has since been published every year to summarize the research activities of each Division and Section, and to outline our progress for the international scientific community. The present "Annual Report" summarizes research activity at the Institute in 1996. This year a keyword index has been added to make information on research activity at the Institute more accessible to readers. Reprints of all the articles published annually have been collected and bound together, and are maintained in the National Cancer Center Library.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the support we have received from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, other governmental organs, including the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, and the Agency for Science and Technology, and from private organizations and individuals. I would especially like to acknowledge the importance of the support we have received for our research activities from the Second-Term Comprehensive 10-Year Strategy for Cancer Control and Grants-in-Aid from the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan.
March, 1997
Masaaki Terada, M.D.
Director, National Cancer Center Research Institute
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