Third Annual HERO Appreciation Event
The third annual HERO Appreciation Event in April honored individuals diagnosed with cancer who have contributed to furthering progress in clinical research at the UH Cancer Center and beyond through their participation in cancer clinical trials .
The keynote speaker was Diane Taylor , PhD , a retired malaria researcher at the John A . Burns School of Medicine . She shared her personal challenges of being an active researcher at the time of her cancer diagnosis , and how she faced the dilemma of having to decide whether or not to participate in a cancer clinical trial . Taylor also expressed her appreciation for her husband who provided support throughout her cancer and clinical trial journey .
Top photo : Clinical trial participants honored at event . Bottom left : left to right : Q & A panelists Dr . Jessica Rhee , Dr . Randall Holcombe , Diane Taylor and Dr . Jonathan Cho . Bottom right : Master of Ceremony Billy V .
Hawai ‘ i Tumor Registry Awarded $ 1.8M
The UH Cancer Center ’ s Hawai ‘ i Tumor Registry ( HTR ) was awarded $ 1.8 million from the National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) to continue in the Surveillance , Epidemiology and End Results ( SEER ) Program . The HTR has provided incidence and survival data on all cases of cancer in Hawai ‘ i since 1973 . The award includes a potential of additional nine years of funding for a total award of more than $ 21 million .
“ The UH Cancer Center ’ s Hawai ‘ i Tumor Registry plays a vital role in cancer research and cancer control activities in Hawai ‘ i and nationally . The registry is particularly notable for its contribution to addressing the burden of cancer in Asian and Pacific Island ethnic groups that are not well-represented in the U . S .,” said Brenda Hernandez , PhD , MPH , HTR principal investigator .
The first step to beating cancer is to understand the disease , and that ’ s exactly what the Hawai ‘ i Tumor Registry allows us to do ,” said U . S . Senator Brian Schatz , a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee . “ With this funding , our state will have the resources we need to collect data — including information about how cancer affects minorities — to help researchers , doctors , and others fight for a cure .”
This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Cancer Institute , National Institutes of Health , Department of Health and Human Services , under Contract No . HHSN261201800011I .
As one of only 16 newly funded NCI-SEER regions nationwide , the HTR collects detailed information on the more than 7,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed in Hawai ‘ i residents annually , as well as follow-up and survival data . Since its inception as a SEER registry in 1973 , the Hawai ‘ i Tumor Registry ’ s surveillance has covered approximately 200,000 Hawai ‘ i cancer cases .
For nearly 50 years , the Hawai ‘ i Tumor Registry has provided valuable insight that informs cancer prevention and research efforts , especially in Asian American and Pacific Islander populations . This federal funding will allow the Cancer Center to continue this important work toward developing new treatments , and eventually , a cure ,” said U . S . Senator Mazie K . Hirono .
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