$2.5M boost for mesothelioma research at UH Cancer Center

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University of Hawai'i Cancer Center researchers have secured a $2.5 million National Cancer Institute grant to advance mesothelioma research by improving diagnosis and treatment for the disease. The competitive R01 grant is awarded to only 9% of applicants.

The research is led by Haining Yang and Michele Carbone, in collaboration with Taylor Ripley, a thoracic surgeon at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas.

The UH Cancer Center team has made significant progress in uncovering the mechanisms of mesothelioma. For the past 24 years, they have consistently secured the highest amount of federal funding dedicated to mesothelioma research.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that primarily affects the thin tissue lining of the chest and abdomen, resulting in approximately 3,200 deaths annually in the U.S. In Hawai'i, there are about 10 cases of mesothelioma per year. Often caused by asbestos exposure, mesothelioma also has a familial form linked to inherited genetic mutations of BAP1, discovered earlier by Carbone and Yang.

"We have made an impact in the lives of many people around the world, including over 100 families we are following in the U.S. and abroad who are affected by familial genetically related mesothelioma," said Yang. "Recently, the NCI has opened two clinical trials for early detection and surgical removal of mesothelioma and other early cancer lesions, and we are saving many lives."

Suellen Crano, who has lived with mesothelioma for more than two decades, has been impacted by Yang and Carbone's research. A California resident, she began her journey with the disease, when she sought treatment for an ear infection and her general practitioner saw that she was very sick. After undergoing several negative tests she was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma.

"Drs. Carbone and Yang are constantly searching for breakthroughs, like the one they recently made about a rare genetic mutation that I have. Their study may change how mesothelioma patients are diagnosed and treated," Crano shared. "Their work is so important because they strive to answer many questions about mesothelioma, which is not a common disease and is poorly understood by most of us who live with it."

Considered an "orphan disease" by the U.S. Congress due to limited pharmaceutical interest, mesothelioma research relies heavily on federal funding, donations from nonprofit organizations, and private philanthropy.

Carbone added, "We are very proud of what we are doing. Our future research efforts will focus on advancing novel therapeutic strategies for mesothelioma and beyond, hoping to figure out how to make all patients capable of fighting the growth of mesothelioma."

The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center is dedicated to conquering cancer, inspiring hope, and saving lives in Hawai'i and the Pacific. The center strives to do this through research, education, patient care and community outreach, focusing on and embracing the unique and diverse ethnic, cultural and environmental characteristics of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The UH Cancer Center is a research organization within the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with facilities located in Kakaʻako. The world-class cancer center building was completed in early 2013. The UH Cancer Center directly employs 300 faculty and staff, with another 200 affiliate members through the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium. The UH Cancer Center adds more than $57 million to the Oʻahu economy through scientific research, clinical trials and numerous other activities. It is one of only 72 cancer-research institutions designated by the National Cancer Institute, a mark of excellence, and the only NCI-designated cancer center in Hawai'i and the Pacific.