On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) held a joint symposium with the National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control titled “Promotion of International Collaboration in Epidemiological Cohort Studies Using Cancer Registry Data.” The symposium was conducted at RERF’s Hiroshima Laboratory in a hybrid format, combining in-person participation and an online webinar. Participants included RERF researchers as well as a representative of a rare cancer patient advocacy group, legal specialists familiar with the cancer registry system, officials from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, local government representatives from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and invited researchers in the fields of cancer epidemiology, clinical medicine, and basic sciences from Japan and overseas. The program featured presentations on the use of cancer registry data, including research case studies from Japan and overseas, and an exchange of views among participants. In addition to these invited stakeholders, 40 attendees participated in person and 98 joined via webinar as audience members.

Cancer registries are used worldwide to collect, analyze, and evaluate information regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and other aspects of cancers diagnosed in patients within a given population. In Japan, cancer registries are operated under the Act on Promotion of Cancer Registries, through which information is collected on personal identifiers—such as the names of individuals diagnosed with cancer—as well as cancer types, treatments, and related details. These data are centrally managed in the National Cancer Registry database by Japan’s National Cancer Center, which has been entrusted the work by the national government. Aggregated data (without personal identifiers) at both the national and prefectural levels are published annually in the Report of Cancer Incidence and Rates in Japan (National Cancer Registry). With appropriate application and approvals, these data are widely used in research contributing to the management of cancers in Japan. Cancer registry data also serve as crucial infrastructure for research conducted at RERF. Following proper procedures, RERF uses information collected through the National Cancer Registry program to study radiation effects, publish the results in scientific journals, and share the obtained knowledge with atomic bomb survivors and the general public.

Through this symposium, participants reaffirmed the importance of continuing discussions on efficient operational approaches that both ensure the secure management of personal information and maximize contributions to public health in promoting international collaborative research using cancer registry data. Moving forward, as a research institution engaged in studies involving cancer registry data, we will continue to strengthen collaboration with related organizations and pursue activities that contribute to the improvement of the health and welfare of atomic bomb survivors and humanity as a whole.

For further details on the symposium, please click the link below:

Announcement of the RERF–NCCICC Joint Symposium – Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF)