Hawaiʻi program to improve cancer detection and care for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Asian Americans

Hawaiʻi Translational Cancer Research Program

NIH-funded research University of Hawaii at Manoa · NIH-11184180

This program develops better ways to find and understand lung and breast cancers in Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian American communities.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Honolulu, United States)
Project IDNIH-11184180 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be joining a Hawaiʻi-based effort that links doctors, lab researchers, and data teams to address cancer differences seen in local communities. The program will collect blood and tumor samples and use molecular tests (DNA mutations, methylation, RNA) plus bioinformatics to learn what drives worse outcomes. One project will build a risk-based, community-informed lung cancer screening approach for Native Hawaiians, while others focus on breast and related cancers common in these groups. The goal is to turn lab findings into screening and care changes that fit Hawaiʻi's diverse populations.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American adults in Hawaiʻi who are at higher risk for or have been diagnosed with lung or breast cancer and can provide health information and samples.

Not a fit: People who are not part of the targeted populations, live outside Hawaiʻi, or have cancers other than the types studied may not benefit directly from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to earlier detection and more personalized care that reduces cancer deaths in Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian American communities.

How similar studies have performed: Molecular tumor profiling and risk-based lung screening have improved care in other groups, but applying these approaches specifically to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Honolulu, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.