Dr. Laurence Kolonel will discuss recent and ongoing research regarding high cancer rates among Native Hawaiians at the March 21 Cancer Research Information Day. – Photo: Courtesy of Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i

Free talk on cancer among Native Hawaiians

Ka Wai Ola Loa staff

High cancer rates among Native Hawaiians will be the subject of a presentation at the free fourth annual Cancer Research Information Day, Saturday, March 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i.

About 900 Native Hawaiians are diagnosed with cancer every year due to diet, lifestyle and other reasons, according to Dr. Laurence Kolonel, who will present the 2 p.m. talk.

While Native Hawaiians have higher rates of lung cancer and breast cancer than other ethnic groups, they also have lower rates of other types of cancer like colorectal cancer and prostate cancer, said Kolonel, the deputy director at the Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i and an epidemiology professor. "So it's not that Native Hawaiians have higher rates of every single cancer, but they do have the highest rates of some of the important cancers, and we'd certainly like to know why – because until you know why, it's hard to know how to do something about it," he said. "That's what we ultimately want to do – have programs that can help lower risks."

Kolonel will discuss two studies published about breast cancer and lung cancer involving more than 200,000 people in Hawai'i and California from five ethnic groups, including about 20,000 Native Hawaiians. He said he and other researchers were surprised to find that the increased rates of lung cancer among Native Hawaiians seems linked to a greater susceptibility to the effects of cigarette smoke rather than a higher rate of smoking. Kolonel and other researchers are continuing to study the same body of data to learn more about differences among ethnic groups regarding cancers such as colorectal, stomach, endometrial, bladder and more.

Some good news about cancer is that people have some control over their risks, Kolonel said. "You're not born with a certain risk for cancer," he said. "More than 90 or 95 percent of cancers is determined by nongenetic factors, so people can affect their risk for cancer, just as they can for heart disease and diabetes."

Kolonel and 13 other cancer specialists from the cancer center and other organizations will speak at the conference, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i. Topics include: Update on Ovarian Cancer – What's Being Done to Diffuse Its Impact; What's New in the Treatments of Colorectal Cancers; and Innovations in the Treatment of Lung Cancer. Health and cancer-related exhibits will also be open to the public.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., and a light lunch will be provided. Free parking is available at the cultural center, and reservations are recommended. For more information or to make a reservation, call 275-3010 or email infoday@brightlightmarketing.com.

The Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i is one of 63 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers throughout the United States. Its research programs focus on: the possible causes of cancer and possible reasons for different cancer rates among Hawai'i's ethnic groups; reducing the incidence and impact of cancer in the Hawaiian population; and discovering new anticancer agents from local plants and marine microorganisms. The research center also manages the Hawai'i Tumor Registry. For information on the Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i, visit crch.org.