Because the geological forces responsible for forming Hawaii differ from those that formed the continental United States, the Hawaiian Islands are one of the rare places in the world that contains no naturally occurring asbestos.
While natural asbestos does not pose a threat to the citizens of Hawaii, there are commercial and military operations that have brought asbestos-containing products to our islands. These asbestos products, thousands of which have been used by the military and numerous Hawaii industries, pose a serious threat to human health. Asbestos exposure is known to cause serious health problems including the lung disease asbestosis and the rare but serious cancer mesothelioma.
Between 1979 and 1999, official sources claim that nearly 140 citizens of Hawaii died due to asbestos cancer diseases. Of these asbestos deaths, 79 were from mesothelioma cancer and 59were from asbestosis. People living in Hawaii continue to become ill and die from the deleterious effects of asbestos exposure.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos cancer in Hawaii, contact us to learn about your legal rights.
Mesothelioma Treatment Centers
If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos on the job, perhaps working for Hawaii’s military bases, shipbuilding yards, oil refineries, or other industries, or in another environment, it is a good idea to get periodic health check-ups. Early detection of asbestos related diseases is essential. Mesothelioma treatment centers are the best places to seek examinations, diagnosis, and treatment of asbestos related diseases. Please see below for Hawaii mesothelioma treatment center information.
Cancer Research Center of Hawaii
1236 Lauhala Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
808-586-3010
Pacific Cancer Institute
Cancer Institute of Maui
227 Mahalani Street
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii conducts in depth research on the prevention, causes and treatment of many cancers, including mesothelioma. Areas that are a focus of research include epidemiology, prevention of cancer, improving life quality for cancer patients, new approaches and interventions in cancer based upon community work.
This is the only NCI-designated cancer center in Hawaii and in the Pacific. The mission of the center is to decrease the great burden of cancer through the most effective and advanced research, education and patient care, with a stress on the ethnic, cultural and environmental factors of Hawaii.
The world class cancer center here was finished in 2013 and now employs more than 300 staff, and another 200 affiliate staff at the UH Cancer Consortium. This is the cancer center that most Hawaiians choose if they have a cancer diagnosis.
The goal of the research of the epidemiology program is to better grasp the many reasons for the various ethnic and racial differences in mortality and incidence in cancer that has been documented in this state since the 1970s. The program does clinical studies that are related to what the role of lifestyle, genetics and infectious agents to determine the major risk factors that cause cancer. Then, there can be detailed interventions that can reduce the burden of cancer in Hawaii.
The research that is being done in this epidemiology program uses the unique, multi ethnic population of the state to deal with the problem of cancer in Hawaii. Some of the strengths of this program in the fight against cancer:
- Molecular aspect that allows investigators to do lab assays for epigenetic or genetic markers, biochemical markers and infectious agents.
- Nutritional assessment component that is robust and well developed.
- Faculty has diverse expertise in biostatistics, nutrition, bioinformatics, molecular biology and epidemiology.
- Highly active collaboration with many other cancer centers to apply their research findings and to improve how cancer is treated and prevented.
A strong emphasis is placed on the role of diet and how the body is composed , and how this enhances or reduces the risk of cancer. How infectious agents and host susceptibility factors, including inherited factors, also are very important in this center’s research.
The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii uses cohort, case control and many other study designs to test hypotheses that are related to the etiology of many cancers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Cancer biology is another major research component of the work at this center. It focuses on advanced science discovery and research that has a strong potential for translation into groundbreaking therapeutic cancer agents and interventions.
The vision of this program is to come up with new mechanistic breakthroughs into the biological processes that cause tumor initiation, invasion and progression. Then, this program intends to target the discovered mechanisms with new molecules and natural substances using advanced cellular and biochemical assays and to translate these into new and more effective therapies.
