UH Cancer Center recognized with 5-year national designation

The University of Hawaii Cancer Center on Monday officially announced the renewal of its status as a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, receiving its best score in a decade and classified by the NCI as an “outstanding” cancer center.

The new five-year NCI designation, effective from Aug. 21 through July 31, 2029, includes an $11 million cancer center support grant from the NCI to fund further research over the next five years.

“This is one of the most rigorous processes in the entire U.S. government,” U.S. Rep. Ed Case said. “It carries with it $11 million more of federal funding to add to many, many other areas of funding that do this research.”

Case noted that in addition to the base funding the NCI provides to designated institutions like the UH Cancer Center, there is also competitive funding available. He also highlighted the partnerships the state has with other countries, such as Japan, which bring additional funding opportunities for the UH Cancer Center.

The renewal highlights the center’s commitment to scientific excellence and its impact on the community and patients.

UH Cancer Center Director Dr. Naoto Ueno said the center will begin preparing its application to renew its NCI designation during its fourth year.

The UH Cancer Center’s NCI designation places it among only 72 cancer centers in the nation, and in the top 4% of all U.S. cancer centers. It is the only NCI- designated cancer center in Hawaii and the Pacific.

“With this NCI designation, we can continue all of the critical work of understanding why we have cancer and how we lead to prevention, diagnosis and treatment,” Ueno said. “We can continue to address more equitable cancer prevention education and patient care. This includes paying special attention to our underserved and underrepresented populations, such as Filipino, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander.”

Established in 1971 as part of the Pacific Biomedical Research Center, the UH Cancer Center was originally named the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii. It received its NCI designation in 1996, with its previous renewal in 2018.

Renamed the UH Cancer Center in 2011, the facility in Kakaako was completed in early 2013 and now employs more than 300 faculty and staff.

The center first received its NCI designation between 1974 and 1986, during the early years of the NCI designation program, and has continuously qualified for the designation since 1996 following rigorous evaluations.

The UH Cancer Center contributes more than $57 million to Oahu’s economy through scientific research, clinical trials and other activities, with a broader economic impact.

The center’s Ho‘ola Early Phase Clinical Research Center is set to open in late 2025, providing innovative Phase 1 cancer treatments that were previously unavailable in Hawaii and the Pacific.

For the first time, cancer patients can access these advanced treatments locally, avoiding expensive trips to the mainland — enabling them to remain at home surrounded by family, which has been considered a crucial element in the healing process.

“For the first time in the history of Hawaii, we will have the most innovative, cutting-edge clinical trials,” Ueno said. “The game changer is that the patient can stay on the island. So many people go outside the island to receive cutting- edge treatment, but now they can stay, surrounded by ohana, and the spirit of aloha is important for the human.”

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Hawaii, following heart disease. Each year, approximately 7,500 Hawaii residents are diagnosed with cancer, and more than 2,400 die from the disease.

As of 2021 over 70,000 Hawaii residents were living with cancer, with the average age of diagnosis being 67 for men and 65 for women.

The UH Cancer Center’s annual budget ranges from $45 million to $48 million, funded by federal grants and revenue from the cigarette tax.

According to Gov. Josh Green, the $1.20 tax per pack of cigarettes generates about $80 million annually, with half of that revenue initially designated for building the cancer center.

“Right off the bat, those moneys went straight for this mission which we celebrate today and the designation in the out years,” Green said.