DIRECTOR ’ S MESSAGE
Creating a Cancer Clinical Trials Network that is Right for Hawai ‘ i
Patients enrolled on a cancer clinical trial receive the highest quality of care . In the United States , over 80 percent of cancer patients are treated in the community , but over 80 percent of clinical trials participation occurs at academic centers . Why ? Many academic centers are only marginally engaged with their local community . Therefore , it ’ s easier to conduct and provide oversight of clinical trials in a single , academic center , where the physicians are most committed to advancing cancer care through clinical research practice primarily in these centers .
But that ’ s not the situation in Hawai ‘ i . The University of Hawai ‘ i Cancer Center has established a clinical trials network that brings the trials directly to the community , where cancer patients are getting their treatment . This network involves nearly 100 oncology providers , multiple health systems and hospitals and over a dozen private practice locations .
A major component of trials offered through this network arise from the Hawai ‘ i Minority / Underserved National Community Oncology Research Program ( NCORP ). This program is supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) that was just renewed , providing $ 8 million over six years to benefit cancer patients in Hawai ‘ i . In addition to these NCI trials , the UH Cancer Center provides access to FDA-approved pharmaceutical trials and numerous investigator-initiated trials developed by UH Cancer Center faculty . This latter group of trials is particularly focused on the cancer problems that affect Hawai ‘ i ’ s ethnically diverse population .
The renewal of the NCORP grant , and before that the Cancer Center Support Grant , were facilitated to a great degree by the exceptional efforts to enroll patients from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds . Across the U . S ., over 90 percent of cancer clinical trial participants are white . Through the UH Cancer Center clinical trials network , over 75 percent are non-white . It is essential to enroll patients from diverse backgrounds to trials in order to know whether a particular new drug or treatment program will work for them . This is a great contribution to the fight against cancer that our patients and providers , our entire ‘ ohana , deliver .
The UH Cancer Center clinical trials network is a community-facing and community-engaged endeavor contributing to the mission to reduce the burden of care for the people of Hawai ‘ i .
Aloha ,
Randall F . Holcombe , MD , MBA Director
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NCI core grant expanded in money and extended in time
The UH Cancer Center currently holds one of only 71 Cancer Center designations awarded by the National Cancer Institute ( NCI ). Cancer centers continue to achieve scientific excellence by integrating a wide variety of research approaches to study cancer . The NCI has extended the designation of the UH Cancer Center from July 2020 until July 2022 and has also increased funding from $ 5.7 million to $ 8.4 million .
The funding allows UH Cancer Center researchers to continue conducting studies that seek to reduce the burden of cancer in Hawai ‘ i and the Pacific . Besides supporting population studies and laboratory research , the funding also helps the Cancer Center provide the opportunity for many of Hawai ‘ i ’ s cancer patients to participate in clinical trials . In 2018 , more than 3,500 people in the state enrolled in clinical research studies administered by the UH Cancer Center .
Since 1996 , the UH Cancer Center has held this NCI designation that has provided many opportunities to continue our mission .
New faculty member looks forward to exciting research opportunities
Lang Wu , PhD , assistant professor , joined the UH Cancer Center in April 2019 . Wu ’ s research involves the epidemiological investigation of genetic , molecular , nutritional and lifestyle factors in cancer causation and prognosis . His long-term research goal is to translate the gained knowledge for prevention , risk assessment , early detection and prognosis prediction of human malignancies , especially for prostate and pancreatic cancers .
Lang Wu , PhD
Wu ’ s research began in basic science , and the influence of an inspirational mentor sparked a passion in him for population science and epidemiology . Before arriving at the UH Cancer Center , Wu ’ s research journey led him to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee and Mayo Clinic in Minnesota .
Wu is excited to be here with his family , “ Working at the UH Cancer Center allows me access to wonderful resources , such as the Multiethnic Cohort ( MEC ) Study , and presents the opportunity to work with diverse understudied populations .”