Cancer Statistics Laboratory

The Cancer Statistics Laboratory’s main goals are:

• to develop the methodology underlying the establishment and management of cancer registries;
  
• to create a national system of population-based cancer registries;
  
• to establish the criteria for assessing the efficacy of cancer care;
  
• to hold recurring seminars focusing on the development of methods for analyzing survival data of cancer patients;
  
• to contribute to the improvement of international classification systems, such as the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors, International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O), etc.;
  
• to publish guidelines on cancer statistics for physicians; and
  
• to publish annual reports on the efficacy of the national cancer care system.

Population-based cancer registries

The Ministry of Health of Russia, through its Order No. 420, has delegated our Center to supervise the establishment of population-based cancer registries covering the Northwestern Federal District of Russia. As of January 1, 2012 seven out of ten administrative territories of the Northwestern Federal District of Russia have established cancer registries that are based on the methodology developed by our Center. Unfortunately, the existing cancer registries are still struggling to fully live up to the international standards due to a lack of financing and staffing shortages.

Valuable data gathered by population-based cancer registers not only provides information necessary to analyze the 10-year survival of cancer patients in a described population, but also allows to carry out epidemiologic studies aimed at comparing databases of cancer registries with databases of other disease registries, such as diabetes and tuberculosis registries, and disability registries.

However, establishment of efficient cancer registries faces many challenges. Saint Petersburg is the only Russian administrative territory that is presented in the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) series published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Available data shows that in many parts of Russia the number of people who have died from cancer – especially its deadliest forms – is higher than the number of people who have been just diagnosed with cancer. Our Center is about to embark on a joint large-scale quest to advance cancer statistics in Russia together with the P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute, with a special focus on methods, personnel and technical support.

Together with the P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute our Center has organized 10 research to practice conferences on the establishment of a national system of cancer registries. In 2015, in cooperation with the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization the Center we held a workshop on establishment of population-based cancer registries. We provided methodological assistance to seven administrative territories in collecting data to contribute to Volume 11 of Cancer Incidence in Five Continents. From 1983 and up to that point Saint Petersburg had been the only Russian territory featured in the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents series.

On January 1, 1930 the department for introducing measures to fight against cancer was established at the Center. Until 1950 the department was headed by Professor A.A. Epstein, who was succeeded by Professor A.V. Chaklin, then by Professor E.V. Litvinov in 1965, Professor D.P. Berezkin in 1970, and Professor V.I. Mishura in 1976. In 1987, Professor V.M. Merabishvili, D.M.Sc. was appointed Head of the department.

Since 1993 the department has been managing the Center’s hospital-based cancer registry – the first of its kind in Russia – and the Saint Petersburg population-based cancer registry, which complies with the international standards. Thirty years’ worth of hard work and dedication have resulted in a hospital-based registry software suit being put into use in 10 Russian administrative territories and a population-based registry software suit in 30 Russian administrative territories.

In 2011, a two-volume book Oncological statistics (traditional methods, new information technologies): Guidelines for physicians by Professor Merabishvili was published and later reprinted in Germany. It was the first publication in Russia to contain exhaustive population-based data on survival of cancer patients, including the assessment of characteristics of reportable neoplasms by tumor site, gender, age and histologic types.

In recent years the department has participated in a number of joint research projects with research teams from the USA, France, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, etc. Most of these projects were aimed at such issues as statistics on malignant neoplasms, periodic screenings and rehabilitation of cancer patients.

Over the years, parallel to maintaining the population-based registry, the department published a number of monographs and annual reports on the activities of cancer care providers of Saint Petersburg. Two monographs were dedicated to cancer care of the Northwester Federal District of Russia. Since 2014 the department has published a number of books on cancer care in the Northwester Federal District of Russia.

In addition, the department has developed the guidelines for establishing and maintaining cancer registries.

Professor Merabishvili supervised 3 D.Sc. and 15 Ph.D. dissertations which dealt with such issues as the improvement of information systems in cancer care, establishment of cancer registries, epidemiology and occupational risks.

From 1987 to 2018 the Cancer Statistics Laboratory was part of the research division of the department for implementing measures to fight against cancer. However, in 2018, when the Ministry of Health of Russia bestowed a new set of tasks on the Center, including the supervision of two additional federal districts – the Southern Federal District and the North Caucasian Federal District – the Cancer Statistics Laboratory was made a separate independent unit of the Center.

Vakhtang Mihailovich Merabishvili - doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Scientific Laboratory of the Oncological Statistics of the N.N. Petrov National Medical Research Center of Oncology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Developed the methodological basis for the formation and operation of cancer registers. For the first time in Russia, he organized the Hospital (1992) and Population (1993) cancer registers according to the international standards. Chairman of the scientific and methodological Council for the development of information systems of the Oncology service of the North-Western Federal district of Russia. Member of the coordinating Council of the European Association of cancer registries.

He is an author more than 1400 publications including more than 60 monographs and books. More than 240 scientific articles have been published in domestic and foreign journals. Under the guidance of V. M. Merabishvili, 20 doctoral and PhD theses were defended.

V.M. Merabishvili is a member of the Problem Commission “Organization of Cancer Control and Prophylaxis of Cancer”, a member of the Coordination Counsel “European Association Of Cancer Registries”.

The Presidium of the Board of the Association of Directors of Centers and Institutes of Oncology and Radiology of the CIS and Eurasia countries awarded the medal named after Academician N.N. Trapeznikov for his contribution to the development of oncological services.

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