‘Diet & Nutrition for the Cancer Journey’ event draws 300+ attendees to UH Cancer Center in Kaka‘ako
Expert discussions, cooking demonstration, food giveaways and more offered in event timed for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 4, 2025
More than 300 people came in person and online to the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, for “Diet & Nutrition for the Cancer Journey,” a free public event timed for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is October.
The ‘Ohana Pink event — so named for Breast Cancer Awareness Month — was the largest yet for the UH Cancer Center’s Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community program. At the center’s Sullivan Conference Center, event attendees:
- Heard an inspiring educational address on how farm-fresh, whole foods promote health, by Sharon Ka‘iulani Odom, Executive Director, Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance; registered dietitian, breast cancer survivor and cultural practitioner;
- Learned how to cook lū‘au stew made with locally sourced produce, in a demonstration by Native Hawaiian chef and cultural practitioner Tammy Mahealani Smith;
- Shared a meal of the lū‘au stew prepared by Smith;
- Participated in a lively panel discussion with Odom, Smith and other experts in nutrition and cancer from UH Cancer Center, Breast Cancer Hawaii and Get Redy Farm;
- Built connections with fellow members of the local cancer community;
- Received free samples of dark opal basil, from Get Redy Farm in Waimānalo; and entered a free prize drawing for farm-fresh watermelons from Ham Produce & Seafood Hawaii; and
- Visited “wellness tables” and poster presentations offering supportive information about diet and cancer, staffed by the UH Cancer Center and Breast Cancer Hawaii, with brochures and recipes from The Queen’s Medical Center, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, Kuakini Medical Center and HMSA.
The event was presented by the UH Cancer Center’s Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community program, which offers free public quarterly events aimed at supporting and empowering current and past cancer patients, caregivers and families. The program is named for its founder, the late Susan Hirano, who was a patient advocate, and a Hope Ambassador for the UH Cancer Center. “CARE” in the program’s name stands for “Community, Awareness, Research, and Emotional Well-Being.”
“Having so many people show up to this event reaffirms that diet and nutrition during the cancer journey is a topic of high interest — not only for current and past patients, but also caregivers and families, and people interested in learning how to prevent cancer,” said Dr. Jami Fukui, Chief of Clinical Breast Oncology for the Ka ʻUmeke Lama program at the UH Cancer Center, a member of the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community committee, and ‘Ohana Pink founder.
“Food is medicine,” Fukui added. “Healthful food can not only help us with our overall health and cancer prevention, but if we must undergo cancer treatments, healthful, nutrient-dense food can help us be our best healthy selves.”
UH Cancer Center Director Dr. Naoto T. Ueno, who is a two-time cancer survivor, commented: “By offering free workshops such as this one, the UH Cancer Center is broadening its scope: Not only are we conducting cutting-edge scientific research and innovative clinical trials, and strong community outreach, but we aim to support Hawaiʻi’s past and current patients through every phase of the journey, with care and aloha.”
Peter Hirano, husband of Susan Hirano, the late founder of the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community program, added: “Susan believed passionately that no one should face cancer alone — that education, community connection, and aloha are as fundamental as medical treatments. This latest event carries forward her vision.”
The next event for the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community will be held on Jan. 17, 2026, and focus on the caregiver’s journey.
More information about the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community: UHCancerCenter.org/cancercare
More information on the UH Cancer Center: UHCancerCenter.org
