This year marks a great time for reflection on the University of Hawai ‘ i Cancer Center . It is the 50th anniversary of the origination of the UH Cancer Center , 25th anniversary of continuous designation by the National Cancer Institute , and five years since I was recruited as Director . Since the beginning , the Cancer Center has made remarkable progress with seminal discoveries about the incidence and causes of cancer in Hawai ‘ i and across the Pacific , a better understanding of the origins of cancer outcomes disparities , particularly through the Multiethnic Cohort Study , progress in the identification of natural products from our environment for cancer prevention and treatment , and nationally recognized discoveries about cancer processes and gene-environment interactions that contribute to cancer development .
Over the past five years , while I have had the honor and privilege of leading the UH Cancer Center , we have expanded the reach of clinical trials , strengthened the Hawai ‘ i Cancer Consortium , markedly increased our education , training and mentoring activities , and enhanced efforts at community outreach and engagement . To better serve our Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations , we renewed our longstanding partnership with the University of Guam and established the Trans-Pacific Partnership for Cancer Prevention . We have also expanded opportunities for graduate and undergraduate student education .
The University of Hawai ‘ i Cancer Center , with a focus on the cancers most important for the people of Hawai ‘ i and the Pacific , has made major discoveries related to lung cancer susceptibility , the role of vaping in pulmonary diseases , the influence of obesity and visceral fat deposition on liver cancer and how environmental carcinogens affect cancer development . The Early Phase Clinical Research Center will bring access , for the first time , to novel anticancer Phase I treatments for the people of Hawai ‘ i . An associated Organoid Generation Facility will allow Cancer Center scientists to study tumors in a more biologically relevant way , gaining a better understanding of how cancers arising in patients from differing racial and ethnic backgrounds respond to potential anticancer treatments .
The last 50 , 25 and 5 years have seen great progress . Stay tuned for more discoveries !!
Mahalo ,
Randall F . Holcombe , MD , MBA Director
Advisory to resume cancer screenings amidst ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
Since the start of the pandemic , there has been a reduction in cancer screenings here in Hawai ‘ i . Although mammography rates have started to recover , there is still a significant reduction in colonoscopy screenings for colorectal cancer . This reduction is particularly important to the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations that have been found to have higher rates of colorectal and breast cancers than other racial / ethnic groups in Hawai ‘ i .
To improve these rates , the UH Cancer Center and the Hawai ‘ i Cancer Consortium have joined the National Comprehensive Cancer Network , the American Cancer Society , and other leading cancer organizations across the country to endorse the resumption of cancer screening and treatment during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . This coalition
National Cancer Institute
Colon Polyp on Stalk : A large but benign polyp found on screening colonoscopy for colorectal cancer .
of 76 organizations released an open letter reminding the public that cancer still poses a major threat to people ’ s health , but acting as soon as is safely possible can lead to better outcomes in the future .
Experts say that when cancer is discovered earlier , people have more treatment options available to them . The lack of screening could lead to a staggering number of what could have been preventable cancer deaths over the next 10 years . Everyone is encouraged to resume cancer screening activities as this is the key to cancer prevention and early detection .
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