Naoto Ueno, Director of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“More than $230 million was spent on cancer care delivered outside Hawaiʻi between 2021 and 2023. This figure highlights an important challenge for the state’s healthcare system.
This is not only a healthcare cost issue. It also reflects the reality that many patients with cancer still feel they must leave Hawaiʻi to receive highly specialized care, advanced therapies, or access to clinical trials.
Several factors contribute to this, including limited confidence in local care, outreach from large mainland cancer centers, and existing gaps in specialized academic oncology services that continue to be addressed.
A significant opportunity exists if more of these resources are invested in Hawaiʻi’s cancer care infrastructure.
Next week, the Hoʻōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center will open at the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, further strengthening the state’s academic oncology capabilities.
The statewide academic oncology program continues to expand, and next year, the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine will launch Hawaiʻi’s Medical Oncology Fellowship, helping train the next generation of medical oncologists to serve Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region.
The goal is clear: patients in Hawaiʻi should have access to high-quality cancer care, innovative treatments, and clinical trials while remaining close to their families, communities, and support networks.
Building local cancer care capacity is essential to achieving that vision.”
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