Annual Report 2018
Division of Health Sociology
Seiichiro Yamamoto, Yuri Mizota, Kumiko Toyoshima, Rika Nakamura
Introduction
The Division of Health Sociology was established in January 2016. The division investigates the methods of distribution and dissemination of scientific evidence concerning cancer prevention, screening, and survivorship. The aim of the research is to fill the gap between the scientific evidence and the behavior of people for cancer prevention and screening by supporting local governments and directly approaching the public. In addition, because of the lack of evidence, we try to establish scientific evidence for cancer survivorship.
As for the activities for establishing a research infrastructure, we conduct methodological research and education concerning behavioral science, epidemiology and biostatistics and support large-scale interventional studies.
1. Research concerning promotion of cancer prevention and screening using social marketing method
In order to increase participation rates of cancer screening, we developed several client reminders of cancer screening such as leaflets and supported local municipalities by conducting workshops and disseminating information from the website. As a result, a total of 93 municipalities in 33 prefectures used our materials. We evaluated the participation rates of cancer screening for the municipalities which used our materials last year and most of them obtained increased participation rates. We are also developing materials for the promotion of participation in HCV testing and smoking cessation using a social marketing approach.
2. Research for cancer survivorship
A large cohort is being established for breast cancer patients to investigate the effect of lifestyle and psychosocial factors on their QOL and prognosis. The cohort consists of several subcohorts including collaborative cohorts of clinical trials, a cohort in the National Cancer Center, and a collaborative cohort with the Setouchi cancer registry. In fiscal year of 2018, we recruited 197 breast cancer patients and finished enrollment with 6,638 patients in total. The cohort became the largest patient cohort in the world. We also started the patient cohort for the same objectives for colon and rectal cancer in December 2015. We recruited 167 patients this fiscal year (756 in total).
Education of staff involved in clinical research
We are developing an e-learning website, ICRweb (http://icrweb.jp), for the education of staff involved in clinical research such as researchers, data managers, clinical research coordinators, and members of institutional review boards. As of March 2018, more than 16,000 new users were registered this fiscal year and more than 100,000 users were registered in total. ICRweb provided 39 new items this year and more than 250 items are available in total. In order to achieve sustainable development, we started charging a nominal fee for users and user institutions to issue certificates.
Future prospects
Our focus is not only prevention and screening but also treatment and survivorship. We will keep doing these activities for all the people suffering from cancer and to prevent cancer.
List of papers published in 2018
Journal
1. Mizota Y, Yamamoto S. How long should we continue gastric cancer screening? From an epidemiological point of view. Gastric Cancer, 22:456-462, 2019
2. Mizota Y, Kanemitsu Y, Tsukamoto S, Shida D, Ochiai H, Yamamoto S. ROK study-C (Rainbow of KIBOU study-colorectum): a colorectal cancer survivor cohort study on food, nutrition, physical activity, psychosocial factors and its influences on colorectal cancer recurrence, survival and quality of life in Japan. BMC Cancer, 18:953, 2018
3. Mizota Y, Ohashi Y, Iwase T, Iwata H, Sawaki M, Kinoshita T, Taira N, Mukai H, Yamamoto S. Rainbow of KIBOU (ROK) study: a Breast Cancer Survivor Cohort in Japan. Breast Cancer, 25:60- 67, 2018