Abstract
There are many issues regarding the input, management, and operation of information related to radiotherapy. In our department of radiation oncology, we reconstructed an old department database (DB) system, which had been utilized for years. The reconstructed DB was intended to contain sufficient information for JASTRO structural surveys and other data requests by adding data items included in the ROGAD (Radiation Oncology Greater Area Database) and omitting tables and items that were not appropriate for the current situation. However, we could not extract sufficient data for JASTRO structural surveys because of the lack of data and incorrect input methods. The new RIS (radiology information system) installed in our department requires that physicians enter the same information as in the department DB. Information sharing between systems in our hospital does not function well, and the workload of medical staff in daily clinical practice is increasing. It is difficult for us to maintain high levels of motivation for data entry in this situation. It is necessary to establish an information system, the Japanese National Cancer Database (JNCDB), that can collect nationwide data for cancer treatment and build cooperation among cancer registration systems and cancer database systems through the activities of the IHE-RO and JASTRO database committee.
