Annual Report 2017

Preface

On January 1, 2016, the Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening underwent a structuralreorganization, making a new start as the Center for Public Health Sciences. In addition to theprevention and screening of cancer, the Center for Public Health Sciences conducts research to supportthe QOL of cancer patients and survivors including their family members and infrastructural researchesin the area of public health such as health sociology, biostatistics, bioethics and clinical economics. Indoing so, we have set ourselves a mission of improving the quality of citizens' lives, addressing healthinequality, and maintaining and further improving the level of public health. The final goal should belonger healthy life expectancy of Japanese people.

In 2017, the organization consisting of the following groups conducted the following researchesin the area of public health sciences. The Prevention Research Group (the Division of Epidemiology,the Division of Prevention, and the Division of Cohort Consortium Research) conducts epidemiologicalstudies such as large-scale cohort studies to elucidate etiology of chronic diseases including cancerand researches to provide effective prevention methods and evidence-based prevention guidelines. TheScreening Research Group (the Division of Screening Assessment and Management, and the Division ofScreening Technology) conducts researches on assessment to develop effective cancer screening guidelines,on management to keep quality assurance of organized cancer screening and to improve the participationrate, and further on the development of an effective screening system and new screening technology.The QOL Research Group (the Division of Health Care Research) conducts clinical research incancer survivorship to enhance the quality of life for all people diagnosed with cancer along with theirfamilies and caregivers. Throughout these research activities, we propose the evidence-based healthcareapproaches, as well as standard QOL outcome assessments and clinical research methodology in thefield of QOL research. The Common Research Group (the Division of Health Sociology, the Divisionof Biostatistical Research, the Section of Clinical Economics, and the Section of Bioethics) conducts researchfor the dissemination of established scientific evidence concerning the public health field (cancerprevention, screening, and survivorship) and for research infrastructures of methodological and socialissues.

To achieve our mission of evidence-based cancer prevention, screening and survivorship, all membersof the Center for Public Health Sciences share a strong will to keep moving forward steadily anddiligently.

Shoichiro Tsugane, M.D., D.M.Sc.
Director
Center for Public Health Sciences