Free prostate cancer event highlights advances in diagnosis, treatment 

Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer among Hawaiʻi's men, with approximately 900 individuals newly diagnosed each year and 125 prostate cancer deaths.

A free public talk sponsored by the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center is dedicated to raising awareness as part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Quest for a Cure: Prostate Cancer will be held Tuesday, September 19, 5–7 p.m. in the UH Cancer Center’s Sullivan Conference Center. Speakers from various medical institutions in Hawaiʻi will address the impact of prostate cancer in the state and advances in the diagnosis and treatment, including genetics and imaging.

“Primary prevention of prostate cancer is challenging with few known risk factors,” said Brenda Hernandez, principal investigator of the Hawaiʻi Tumor Registry and UH Cancer Center researcher. Hernandez will be one of several panelists at the event and will speak to prostate cancer disparities in Hawaiʻi.

Charles Kim, MD, urologist at Hawaiʻi Pacific Health and event moderator, will be among other physicians on the panel. “Because of its prevalence, it is important that our community is aware of prostate cancer. This event will explain what prostate cancer is and how it’s diagnosed, assessed and treated. We have assembled a well-rounded panel of experts who will discuss recent advances in prostate cancer,” Kim said.

Other speakers joining Hernandez and Kim on the panel are: Thomas Sanford, MD, urologist at Hawaiʻi Pacific Health; Marc Coel, MD, nuclear medicine at The Queen’s Medical Center; and Ryon Nakasone, MD, oncologist at Hawaiʻi Oncology, Inc.

“We wanted this event to be inclusive of not only the different disciplines which involve urology, but the different institutions in Hawaiʻi treating prostate cancer,” Kim said.

Also on the panel is prostate cancer survivor, Gary Kim. He serves as a facilitator of the Us TOO/ZERO Prostate Cancer support group, which aims to help men and their families make informed decisions about prostate cancer and provide opportunities for peer-to-peer support. 

This is the final event of the 2023 Quest for a Cure three-part series featuring monthly talks by researchers from the UH Cancer Center, clinician partners from the local oncology community, and cancer survivors and/or caregivers. The goal is to empower those going through their cancer journeys with information, resources and support.

This event will be available in-person and online. Registration will remain open until spots are filled.