Hawaii Cancer Action Center

The American Cancer Society (ACS) released an update this week on breast cancer occurrence and trends in the United States. While the new report finds mortality rates have dropped by 44% since 1989, not all women have benefited from this progress. The report highlighted a continued upward trend in breast cancer incidence with the steepest increase in women younger than 50 years and Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) women of all ages. The release coincides with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s (ACS CAN) campaign to connect patients with the right treatment at the right time through increasing access to biomarker testing in Hawaii.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) presented Waianae community member Mckayla McCullah with the Young Leader award this week in recognition of her passionate advocacy and commitment to furthering the fight against cancer. This award is presented to a state volunteer who has demonstrated an exciting promise in their start with ACS CAN by taking advantage of new opportunities to advocate for cancer patients.

Advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) commend the Hawaii State Legislature for the passage of HCR 53 during the 2024 legislative session. The resolution moves Hawaii one step closer to advancing legislation to expand access to the testing needed to connect cancer patients and those battling other diseases to precision treatments through biomarker testing.