George J. Weiner, MD

As cancer clinicians, we spend years learning how to think objectively and rationally when supporting patients who have responded to a cancer diagnosis with anger and fear.

Comprehensive cancer centers seek to reduce the burden of cancer through clinical care, research, education, and community engagement, including a commitment to diversity. 

As Joe Simone said, “Once you have seen one cancer center, you have seen one cancer center.” This statement is certainly true of the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center (UHCC).

Progress against cancer, as brought about by high quality academic cancer centers, requires individual excellence from experts who apply distinct, highly specific skill sets to a common goal within the cancer center. The cancer center coordinates and supports these efforts.

Over the years, I have gained extensive experience with academic cancer center External Advisory Boards, including hosting multiple EAB meetings at my own cancer center, chairing the EABs of nine other NCI designated cancer centers, and serving on many others. 

As is true in so many fields, medicine and biomedical research have experienced a huge transition over recent decades from self-sufficiency to productive interdependence. 

Shortly, I will step aside as director of the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, a role I have served in since 1998, i.e. a term roughly bookended by Y2K and COVID. 

Academic cancer centers have a major and unique role to play in enhancing cancer research, clinical care and education. This role will increase in value as our understanding of the complexity of cancer grows and is applied to care of patients.

The nation's academic cancer centers are a national resource that will increase in value as remarkable changes continue in biomedical research, cancer care, and health policy.