UH Cancer Center researcher selected on national breast cancer steering committee

September 12, 2022

University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center Associate Researcher, Jami Fukui, MD, has been selected to serve a three-year term on the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Breast Cancer Steering Committee (BCSC). The BCSC addresses areas of unmet clinical needs, important unanswered clinical questions, and potential approaches to disease treatment in breast cancer. As the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) representative on this committee, Fukui hopes to shape how breast cancer clinical trials are prioritized, specifically for diverse and underserved populations throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

Minority populations are often underrepresented in clinical trials, leading to a lack of relevant studies for Hawaiʻi’s diverse, multiethnic population. The NCORP is a national network that brings cancer clinical trials and care delivery studies to people in their own communities. As an NCORP site, the UH Cancer Center is committed to offering suitable cancer clinical trials affecting our diverse population, especially those who bear a disproportionate burden compared to others. Fukui will play an active role on the design, development, and review of breast cancer clinical trials to help ensure appropriate studies for patients in Hawaiʻi.

According to data collected from the Hawaiʻi Tumor Registry, breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women in Hawaiʻi. Through the right clinical trials, researchers will be able to address breast cancer disparities, leading to improved patient outcomes. “In clinical practice we see the real world aspects of breast cancer care, and this can directly inform national thought leaders how to approach clinical unmet needs,” said Fukui.

Results from Fukui’s participation in the BCSC may lead to advanced developments in minority breast cancer clinical trials that will help improve the outcomes of breast cancer in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.