Annual Report 2020
Division of Health Services Research
Takahiro Higashi, Tomone Watanabe, Yuichi Ichinose, Yoko Yamamoto, Ryoko Rikitake, Taisuke Ishii, Mei Matsuki, Rei Goto, Hiroko Suketomo, Takehiro Sugiyama, Yasuo Hamamoto, Momoko Iwamoto, Hideaki Kobayashi, Kunihiro Nishimura, Chisato Izumi, Soshiro Ogata, Shunsuke Murata, Yuka Nishina, Yuri Ito, Masato Ohta, Izumi Inoue, Taro Tomizuka, Tamaki Kakuwa, Masataka Hasegawa, Kaoru Konno, Yuriko Nishikawa, Miyori Sato, Tomoko Matsuoka, Junko Koseki, Ayumi Iwanishi, Kahoko Akimoto
Introduction
The Division of Health Services Research conducts research that contributes to the improvement of the quality of cancer care in Japan through meaningful evaluations of health systems and health policy performance.
The Team and What We Do
1. Cancer registry-linked DPC database
As part of our ongoing initiative to monitor the quality of cancer care in Japan using a database of cancer registry-linked DPC data, we continue building the database for cancer patients diagnosed in 2017. After collecting DPC data from a total of 532 hospitals, we analyzed adherence to standards of care, which was previously devised based on clinical guidelines, using existing quality indicators across cancer types. Analysis was performed on over 50 quality indicators (QIs) before the results were reported to each participating hospital. We presented the final results as a paper-based report, and updated 10 existing lung cancer QIs in light of the recent practice guidelines. Moreover, we have developed ovarian cancer QIs with an expert committee and analyzed the results.
2. Rare Cancer Control Policy
The Division has been assigned the administrative task of facilitating the Working Group for Rare Cancer Control Policy by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MoH). We have updated an on-line information platform that patients can freely access to collect information regarding the current care practices for patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities and eye tumors across Japan. Following a precedent, a new committee was launched in the field of NEN, NET and NEC. After a discussion with the new committee, we decided to develop online information platform as the other two cancers. Now, we ask hospitals across Japan to collect information on NEN, NET, and NEC care.
3. Monitoring and Evaluation of National Cancer Control Programs
The Division continued to implement evaluation programs to assess the recent Cancer Control Policy in Japan. The updated version of the cancer patient experience survey was launched in December, 2018. In 2019, the results from 10,713 patients across 166 hospitals were analyzed. After several discussions with the MoH, we presented the results as a paper-based report. Later in the year, the first cancer patient experience survey targeting pediatric patients was launched. We collected questionnaires from 1221 patients across 97 hospitals in Japan. After analyzing the results, we presented the results as a paper-based report.
We have launched another project to assess the overall function of designated cancer care hospitals (DCCHs) across Japan. Through online interviews with a panel of patients and a survey to each facility, we conducted an exploratory study searching for an ideal care model for these types of hospitals. We are now collecting the results and plan to publish a report.
Education
The Division accepted two visiting researchers and provided continuing education. Due to the COVID pandemic, we could not host medical students from The University of Tokyo for a clerkship in Public Health. We invited adjuvant researchers from other universities/research institutes.
Future Prospects
The Division envisions facilitating evidence-based policymaking and improving the care of cancer patients by monitoring the performance of cancer policy and quality of care among cancer treatment centers across the country. To this end, the Division is working to provide an information exchange platform along with the solid baseline data for specialists and various stakeholders, designed to foster the evidence-based exchange of ideas for cancer policy planning.
List of papers published in 2020
Journal
1. Ren N, Nishimura A, Kurogi A, Nishimura K, Matsuo R, Ogasawara K, Hashimoto Y, Higashi T, Sakai N, Toyoda K, Shiokawa Y, Tominaga T, Miyachi S, Kada A, Abe K, Ono K, Matsumizu K, Arimura K, Kitazono T, Miyamoto S, Minematsu K, Iihara K. Measuring Quality of Care for Ischemic Stroke Treated With Acute Reperfusion Therapy in Japan - The Close The Gap-Stroke. Circ J, 85:201-209, 2021
2. Miyamoto K, Wakabayashi M, Mizusawa J, Nakamura K, Katayama H, Higashi T, Inomata M, Kitano S, Fujita S, Kanemitsu Y, Fukuda H. Evaluation of the representativeness and generalizability of Japanese clinical trials for localized rectal/colon cancer: Comparing participants in the Japan Clinical Oncology Group study with patients in Japanese registries. Eur J Surg Oncol, 46:1642-1648, 2020
3. Kawai A, Higashi T, Shibata T, Yoshida A, Katoh Y, Fujiwara Y, Nishida T. Rare cancers in Japan: definition, clinical features and future perspectives. Jpn J Clin Oncol, 50:970-975, 2020
4. Yazaki S, Yamauchi T, Higashi T. High hepatitis B virus screening rate among patients receiving systemic anticancer treatment in Japan. Int J Clin Oncol, 25:1327-1333, 2020
5. Kojo K, Kawai K, Kawahara T, Kimura T, Kandori S, Nagumo Y, Nitta S, Kojima T, Okuyama A, Higashi T, Nishiyama H. Recent malignant testicular tumor trend in Japan, a country with an aging population: a large-scale study of 2012-2015 hospital-based cancer registry data. Jpn J Clin Oncol, 50:1201-1208, 2020
6. Tanaka K, Kandori S, Nitta S, Chihara I, Kojo K, Nagumo Y, Kimura T, Kojima T, Kawai K, Okuyama A, Higashi T, Nishiyama H. Characteristics of penile cancer in Japan: An analysis of nationwide hospital-based cancer registry data. Int J Urol, 27:538-542, 2020
7. Ishii T, Nakano E, Watanabe T, Higashi T. Epidemiology and practice patterns for male breast cancer compared with female breast cancer in Japan. Cancer Med, 9:6069-6075, 2020
8. Kimura T, Kawai K, Kandori S, Nitta S, Kojo K, Nagumo Y, Negoro H, Okuyama A, Higashi T, Kojima T, Nishiyama H. Impact of centralization in primary retroperitoneal sarcoma treatment: analysis using hospital-based cancer registry data in Japan. Int J Clin Oncol, 25:1687-1694, 2020
9. Motoyama S, Maeda E, Iijima K, Sato Y, Koizumi S, Wakita A, Nagaki Y, Fujita H, Yoneya T, Imai K, Terata K, Minamiya Y, Higashi T. Does Esophagectomy Provide a Survival Advantage to Patients Aged 80 Years or Older? Analyzing 5,066 Patients in the National Database of Hospital-Based Cancer Registries in Japan. Ann Surg, 2020