[Update on Cancer Epidemiology in Japan]

Accumulated epidemiological evidence has revealed several risk and preventive factors for cancer. Thus, cancer prevention guidelines for the Japanese population have been developed on the basis of scientific evidence from mainly studies conducted in Japan. In Japan, tobacco smoking and infections are the major causes of cancer. Further control of these factors will contribute to substantial reductions in cancer incidence and mortality in Japan. Concurrently, large-scale molecular epidemiologic studies are ongoing in order to obtain epidemiological evidence for personalized prevention strategies. In particular, evidence from omics analyses and investigation of gene-environment interactions may contribute to the further understanding of the biological mechanism underlying cancer occurrence. In addition, the establishment of preventive measures according to individual disease risk, on the basis of risk prediction models including omics data, is necessary.