Abstract B26: Building capacity in cancer research, training, and outreach through a Partnership to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities in Guam, Hawaii, and the U.S.-associated Pacific Island jurisdictions
Authors: Vogel Carl-Wilhelm , Robinett Hali R. , Whippy Helen J.D. 
Published: June 2012

The University of Guam(UOG)/University of Hawaii Cancer Center (UHCC) Partnership aims to: a) increase the cancer research activities and the number of faculty involved in cancer research at UOG; b) increase the number of minority scientists of Pacific Island ancestry engaged in cancer research while providing them with pertinent undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education and training opportunities; c) further strengthen the research focus at UHCC on cancer health disparities (CHD) with particular emphasis on aspects unique to Guam and the Pacific region; and d) enhance the awareness of cancer and cancer prevention, and ultimately reduce the impact of cancer on the Territory of Guam, neighboring U.S.-associated Pacific Island jurisdictions, and Hawaii.

The Partnership's Cancer Health Disparities Seminar Series enhances education and training made available to minority students at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels. Funding is available at UOG to support new faculty recruitment, and summer fellowships and annual workshops provide opportunities for faculty mentorship and development. Concepts for pilot and full research projects and programs are cultivated through a developmental process involving significant mentorship and consultation provided by the Partnership's scientific and administrative leadership. Partnering investigators with well developed concepts are invited to submit proposals for initial peer review conducted by the Partnership's Internal Advisory Committee, followed by an external peer review process. Scientific evidence and Guam Cancer Registry data are presented by the Partnership to influence public health policy and resource allocation.

Cancer related research was nonexistent at UOG prior to 2003 with the establishment of the UOG/UHCC Partnership. Today, 10% of the UOG faculty participate in the Partnership. Four faculty have been recruited to UOG and 3 faculty have enjoyed summer fellowships supported by the existing grant. Over 20 students have benefitted from the training, education and mentorship provided through the collaboration; 7 master's and 3 doctoral students are supported by the current grant. Four jointly conducted projects are addressing research questions of particular relevance to Guam and the neighboring Pacific islands. Funded projects are identifying: breast cancer risk factors unique to Pacific Islander women; the associations of betel nut use and health-related conditions/behaviors among users in Micronesia; sociocultural factors affecting betel nut chewing among Pacific Islanders on Guam; and community-based participatory approaches to tobacco use prevention and cessation among youth on Guam. The Partnership has made a positive impact on cancer awareness and public health policy, having advised the Territory's legislature in establishing Guam's comprehensive smoke-free legislation and, more recently, model tobacco tax legislation. Tobacco tax revenues now support cancer screening, treatment and support services as well as the Guam Cancer Registry. Twenty-four peer-reviewed articles have been published over the history of the Partnership.

A stable, longstanding partnership between the University of Guam and the UH Cancer Center supports the recruitment and development of a new and growing body of faculty investigators at UOG, and an expanding emphasis on cancer health disparities research at UHCC. Students and faculty are exploring and addressing cancer research priorities in the region while delivering cancer advances to ethnically diverse communities served by the partnering institutions. The visibility and credibility of the Partnership will continue to positively influence public health policy and cancer prevention and control services in Guam and, ultimately, in neighboring Pacific Island jurisdictions.

Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):B26.