The Statistics and Cancer Control division is in charge of data collection, integrated management, analysis and dissemination of cancer information at the national level by the following means; supporting and maintaining population-based and hospital-based cancer registries for monitoring cancer incidence, conducting descriptive epidemiologic analyses on cancer mortality and incidence, to collecting and reviewing information on cancer screening, managing multi-center cooperative clinical trials data coordinating center (JCOG data center), and conducting health services research in cancer care based on clinical information.

Establishment of a cancer surveillance system in Japan is one of the main objectives in the third term comprehensive 10-year program for Cancer Control. In particular, as basic infrastructure for the surveillance system, population-based and hospital-based cancer registries should be completed urgently in an earlier phase of the program. The Division plays an important role as a driving force for the standardization and quality improvements of both types of cancer registries; it estimates national cancer incidence ⁽²¹²⁾, develops data standards for cancer registration, holds regular week-long workshops for cancer registrars twice a year with additional 2-day workshops, develops a standardized cancer registry software to provide to prefectural cancer registry offices and designated regional cancer treatment centers, and disseminates up-to-date information on cancer-registry-related issues through websites (http://ncrp.ncc.go.jp and http://ganjoho.ncc.go.jp). Furthermore, the Division has managed the National Cancer Center Hospital Cancer Registry since 2004.

The Division takes charge of descriptive analyses of cancer incidences and mortalities, which are essential to monitor and evaluate the National Cancer Control Program in Japan. International comparisons of cumulative cancer incidence risk were also performed among 22 cancer registries using the data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Vol. VIII ^(213-223). Trends in smoking by birth cohorts born between 1900 and 1977 were examined by using four Japanese large-scale prospective cohort studies and the National Nutrition Survey data ⁽²²⁴⁾. The effects of change in smoking prevalence on the future mortality trend are being estimated using statistical models, such as the exponential and Age-Period models. In collaboration with the Japan Public Health Center-based prospective Study and other epidemiological studies, the association of various risk factors and cancer incidence are also evaluated ^(225,226).

The guidelines for cancer screening have been updated based on new research following the report 'Evaluation effectiveness of cancer screening' (Hisamichi S ed.) published in 2001, through which the guideline development process was standardized. The guidelines for colorectal, gastric and lung cancer screening were developed based on a standardized process. The guideline for prostate cancer screening is now being revised. The numbers of cancers detected at the Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening were compared with the expected numbers based on the model ⁽²²⁷⁾. For promotion of appropriate management of cancer screening, performance indicators were analyzed among 47 prefectures based on the National Survey on Cancer Screening.

Using data from the hospital information system in the National Cancer Center Hospital, the project analyzed clinical records of inpatient surgical cases. The study described practice patterns from the patients' first visit to the hospital, and clarified clinical processes based on episodes of care. Another major achievement by the project is the development of the "cancer care portfolio," which visualizes the activities of a hospital using administrative datasets collected by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This portfolio uses a subset of national data and based on over 400,000 cases from over 170 hospitals, it gives a benchmark for status of cancer care at each facility.

The Division is running the data coordinating center of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG), a nationwide multi-institutional, multi-disease, multi-modality cooperative study group supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research and Health Sciences Research Grants from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in collaboration with the Society of Japanese Pharmacopoeia. It is currently managing approximately 70 clinical trials. Designing clinical trials, periodical monitoring of the data and safety, and interim and final analyses are performed for all studies through data management, statistics and clinical teams. A new web-based clinical data management system, which is expected to increase the performance of data management and the quality of the data, is now under test. Final results of the phase II study ⁽²²⁸⁾ have been reported. As an intramural research project, methodological research for data management and regulatory science ^(229,230) has also been conducted. The JCOG data center also supports clinical research other than JCOG studies on a consultancy basis.

The National Cancer Center is designated by the World Health Organization as the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference on Smoking and Health, and this Division takes the responsibility for running the Center. The following aspects are covered; to collect and analyze information and data on smoking and health, to be a clearing house for information on smoking and health, and to support implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).