DISCOVERIES 06
With one of the most diverse populations in the world , Hawai ‘ i is especially suited to investigate why some ethnic populations are more susceptible to certain cancers than others , and how genetic susceptibility interacts with environmental factors in producing cancer risks . Because of our geographic isolation , Hawai ‘ i is home to many species of flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world , and these may harbor special natural compounds that could provide the key to new therapeutics to prevent or treat cancer .
The UH Cancer Center has established research groups focused on the specific cancers that affect us most . For example , Hawai ‘ i has one of the highest rates of liver cancer in the U . S . We have organized a team of the state ’ s top surgeons , oncologists , basic cancer biologists , and epidemiologists to focus efforts to understand the reasons for this high incidence , and find new diagnostics and therapies to improve outcomes for our liver cancer patients . Similar teams are at work on women ’ s cancers ( breast and ovarian ). These cancers affect Hawai ‘ i at a disproportionate level and many have disparities in incidence and progress of the cancer among our diverse population .
CANCER BIOLOGY PROGRAM
CANCER MECHANISMS & TARGETS
Our Cancer Biology researchers work hard to uncover the fundamental mechanisms that drive the development and progression of different cancers , focusing on those that disproportionately affect Hawai ‘ i and the U . S . -affiliated Pacific Islands . By understanding the processes that cause cancer to form , grow , move to other organs in the body ( metastasis ), and resist current treatments , we can find new approaches to treating and diagnosing these diseases and developing new drugs to attack the newly discovered mechanisms .
We have contributed to understanding how cancers form from a mix of gene and environmental interactions . Some of these interactions cause damage to key genes in normal cells and when the cells have challenges fixing those genes , it can lead to cancer . An example is BAP1 , a gene that protects cells from carcinogens present in the environment . A new genetic disease , the BAP1 cancer syndrome , caused by inherited mutations of the BAP1 gene , was discovered and named by UH Cancer Center researchers . Affected individuals develop mesothelioma , melanoma , renal cell carcinoma , and other malignancies . However , early studies show their cancers respond well to therapy . Our researchers led an international team of physicians that designed specific diagnostic and clinical guidelines for these patients and their affected relatives . In response to this discovery , the National Cancer Institute opened two clinical trials in which those affected by the BAP1 cancer syndrome are screened for early detection and treated without charge if they develop cancer .
UHCC HISTORIC TIMELINE
1970
Richard K . C . Lee , MD , tasked by UH President Harlan Cleveland to convene a committee to plan a cancer research center that integrated the laboratory & demography programs .
1971
1972
Cancer Research Center of Hawai ‘ i ( CRCH ) established as part of UH Pacific Biomedical Research Center ( PBRC )
CRCH received federal funding for cancer research center planning grant .
1973
HTR joined NCI Surveillance , Epidemiology , & End Results ( SEER ) & was assumed under operation & management of CRCH .