VNR: Dr. Jami Fukui named UH Cancer Center’s Chief of Clinical Breast Oncology, Ka ‘Umeke Lama

Contact:

VNR, photos and other media assets (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/8LP

Jami Fukui, MD, who has been a researcher at the University of Hawai'i Cancer Center for the past eight years, has been named Chief of Clinical Breast Oncology for the UH Cancer Center's newly launched Ka 'Umeke Lama academic oncology and workforce development program. The program is aimed at cultivating the next generation of homegrown oncologists and creating more equitable cancer care across the state.

In her new role, Fukui will play a pivotal role in developing clinical oncology programs, and leading and facilitating clinical trials to establish new standards of care for managing breast cancer. All of the UH Cancer Center's clinical and research initiatives related to breast cancer will be consolidated under her leadership to enhance clinical care and improve patient outcomes.

Fukui has conducted research on various aspects of cancer care, and served as the principal investigator of a research project involving community health educators to help address disparities for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cancer patients living in rural communities.

"Dr. Fukui's genuine compassion and a wealth of experience enables her to marry science and the social-emotional aspects of patient care," said Dr. Naoto Ueno, Director of the UH Cancer Center. "Her oversight will further advance groundbreaking research that translates into prevention, earlier detection and better treatment or management of the disease, especially for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Filipinos, who have a higher prevalence of certain types of cancer. Dr. Fukui is an inspiration to up-and-coming oncologists who will be able to care for those in their own communities."

"Hawaiʻi has one of the highest incidences of breast cancer cases in the U.S.," Fukui said. "It's a privilege to learn from my patients and our community. They guide my research to find ways of overcoming health disparities in cancer treatment, and help to focus our collective efforts to find better ways to care for those diagnosed with breast cancer in Hawai'i and the Pacific."

Fukui, a Honolulu resident, is also an associate professor at the University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and completed an internal medicine residency and a hematology/oncology fellowship, both at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Fukui is also a National Cancer Institute (NCI) breast cancer steering committee member.

- - -

About The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center

The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center is dedicated to saving lives in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, and inspiring hope by working to conquer cancer. The flagship priority is to understand and address cancer health disparities. The center strives to achieve this through research, education, patient care, and community outreach, focusing on the unique and diverse ethnic, cultural, and environmental characteristics of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

The UH Cancer Center is one of only 73 institutions designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), representing a significant mark of excellence, and is the only NCI-designated cancer center in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The center contributes more than $57 million to Hawai'i's economy through scientific research, clinical trials, and other activities.

As part of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the UH Cancer Center operates out of facilities located in Kakaʻako. The center directly employs more than 300 faculty and staff, with an additional 200 affiliate members and cooperative agreements with organizations that are part of the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium. The consortium includes The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, Kuakini Medical Center, Adventist Health Castle, Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association (HMSA), and the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), all working together with the UH Cancer Center to advance cancer research and treatment in the state.

Learn more at UHCancerCenter.orgConnect with us | Facebook | Instagram | X | LinkedIn

- - -

VNR, photos and other media assets: https://go.hawaii.edu/8LP

B-ROLL:

trt 2:58

0:10 to 1:20 - Quotes from Dr. Jami Fukui, MD, Chief of Clinical Breast Oncology for the UH Cancer Center's Ka 'Umeke Lama academic oncology and workforce development program

1:20 to 1:17 - Various exterior footage of University of Hawai'i Cancer Center

1:18 to 2:58 - Video stills of Dr. Fukui working with various patients and staff at UH Cancer Center

SOUND

Dr. Jami Fukui, Chief of Clinical Breast Oncology, UH Cancer Center's Ka 'Umeke Lama academic oncology and workforce development program

0:17 - So I think this position just allows for more awareness that we need to be disease focused and really have an idea about what our goals are to help improve care. And so with this position, there are several different projects that we're looking to start. We have collaborative efforts already ongoing. And so it's really to hone in on what are the key issues that our breast cancer patients face today.

0:41 - We know that breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, and out of the 50 states, we're about the sixth highest in the number of new cases of breast cancer.

0:52 - Participating in research at the University of Hawai'i Cancer Center through our Hawai'i Cancer Consortium members allows people the opportunity to get that cutting edge technology, that cutting edge research, to really improve treatment for tomorrow.

1:06 - Making sure that the types of treatments that are available are for those aggressive breast cancers is also very important. We can't treat everybody the same because we know that it's personalized and it's tailored, and that's especially true for our breast cancer community.

###

For more information, visit: http://UHCancerCenter.org