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 nationŐs leading cancer research institution and one of the leading cancer research institutes worldwide. 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 35 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, there have been two basic and unifying purposes of the institute: to achieve cancer control by means of close collaboration with hospitals and the government, and to serve as the core research institute promoting cancer research in Japan. In 1997, as in prior years, there were two major areas of progress in cancer research. 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 computer science development. 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. 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 the 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. 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 contents of the annual reports up to the 1996 volume can be seen on the National Cancer Center home page (http://www.ncc.go.jp). The present "Annual Report" summarizes our 1997 research activity. Since last year, a keyword index has been added to make information on research activity at the Institute more accessible to readers. A monthly reprint distribution of all the articles published was made available to all members of the administrative meetings of the institute by the Division Chief or Section Head. The collected and bound reprints 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, 1998

Masaaki Terada, M.D.

Director, National Cancer Center Research Institute