Naoto Ueno, Director of the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“AANHPI Month May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. For the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, this month is more than a celebration of history and culture. It is a reminder of whom we serve and why our work matters.
Cancer affects Asian communities in ways that are often overlooked because the term ‘Asian’ includes many different populations with different risks and needs.
Nationally, Asian Americans have a lower overall cancer death rate than Caucasian, but this can hide important cancer burdens. Liver cancer mortality is nearly 40% higher, and stomach cancer mortality is about twice as high among Asian Americans compared with White Americans. Cancer is also the leading cause of death among Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese people. These patterns remind us that cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and research must be specific to each community, not based on broad assumptions.
For Hawaiʻi, this is especially important. Our state is home to one of the largest and most diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations in the country.
The cancer risks of our communities are shaped by ancestry, culture, language, immigration history, hepatitis B and other infection-related risks, diet, smoking patterns, environmental exposures, access to care, and trust in the healthcare system. If we do not understand these differences, we cannot fully address cancer disparities.
AANHPI Heritage Month also reminds us that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities continue to experience major cancer health disparities, including barriers to prevention, screening, treatment, clinical trials, and survivorship care. These disparities are not acceptable.
They call on us to listen more carefully, build stronger trust with communities, and develop solutions that reflect the cultures and lived experiences of the people we serve.
At the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center, our responsibility (Kuleana) is to generate knowledge that matters for Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
That means improving cancer prevention and early detection, expanding access to clinical trials, supporting cancer survivors, strengthening community outreach, and conducting research that reflects the true diversity of our people. It also means training the next generation of cancer leaders who understand both science and community.
This month, we honor Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander patients, families, caregivers, researchers, physicians, educators, and community advocates who continue to shape our cancer mission. We celebrate their contributions, but we also recognize the work ahead.
For the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, AANHPI Heritage Month means advancing cancer research and care with aloha, respect, and a commitment to every community we serve.”
Other articles featuring Naoto Ueno on OncoDaily.