Comprehensive Registry in Japan

We reviewed the history, current status, and future perspectives of the esophageal cancer registry in Japan, managed by the Japan Esophageal Society. The Registration Committee for Esophageal Cancer initiated the comprehensive registry in 1976. The registry was interrupted due to the 2003 Act on the Protection of Personal Information. A new system, incorporating “anonymity in an unlinkable fashion” using a hash function, allowed the resumption of registrations in 2008 for cases treated in 2001. A total of 103,549 cases were registered between 2001 and 2016. The number of registered cases and participating institutes has been increasing year by year. Since 2019, the registry has transitioned to an Internet-based system utilizing the National Clinical Database (NCD) platform to enhance efficiency and coverage. Although squamous cell carcinoma has been the predominant histologic subtype, ranging from 87.5% to 92.9%, adenocarcinoma has been rising during the period, from 2.3% to 7.2%. Five-year survival rates varied by treatment: endoscopic resection (80.1–89%), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (19.3–36%), and esophagectomy (42.6–59%). The comprehensive registry plays a crucial role in improving the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer in Japan.