ASCOconnection.org welcomes a new commentator— William S. Loui, MD, FACP, a medical oncologist in private practice in Hawaii. He is on the faculty at the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine. He has been honored by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Hawaii for his innovative work with minority breast cancer patients. He is Past President of the Hawaii Society of Clinical Oncology and has served the Society as a member of ASCO’s Health Disparities Advisory Group, now the Health Disparities Committee.

AC: What drew you to oncology? 

Dr. Loui: Several of my uncles and aunts died from cancer while I was in college. So, I saw first-hand the devastating consequences of cancer. Before medical school, I participated in immunology research and the promise of treating cancer with monoclonal antibodies was exciting.

AC: Does practicing in Hawaii offer any challenges that mainland oncologists may not experience?

Dr. Loui: Hawaii is the crossroads of the Pacific, there are many ethnic groups and nationalities living here. So, cross cultural awareness and health disparities are part of our daily lives. We had new immigrants from Micronesia and Polynesia with dramatic problems.

It’s a great challenge trying to communicate effectively. We’ve tried addressing the issue of informed consent by developing a DVD for Filipinos (the fastest growing ethnic group in Hawaii). It covered the six most common cancers, treatments, and side-effects of therapy. We have another DVD we are beta testing about clinical trials and improving enrollment of minorities. We’re working with the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART) to make the DVD better and find out why Asians are less likely to participate in studies.

AC: What interests you about health disparities?

Dr. Loui: It has been a passion since high school, when I volunteered with the American Cancer Society. The Butterfly Bus would go out to poor communities that lacked access to care. As a student at a college on the East Coast, I volunteered to be an English tutor for immigrant students in the basement of a church. It was an eye opening experience. In addition, I became a Minority Peer Counselor in college and this exposed me to students from the whole range of society. During medical school in Hawaii, I would see that people delayed coming for health care because of cultural or language barriers.

AC: Why did you want to become a columnist on ASCOconnection.org?

Dr. Loui: This sounded a lot more interesting than sitting on hospital committees.

AC: What should readers look forward to with your commentary?

Dr. Loui: Small slices of life and medicine—a different perspective from way out West.

AC: When you’re not working, what are some things you like to do in your free time?

Dr. Loui: Traveling the world. You learn so much going to another place or immersing yourself in another culture. It may sound odd to leave Hawaii, but visiting another country really opens the mind. It is refreshing to get out of the work routine and daily grind. We just got back from river rafting down the Grand Canyon and I recommend that everyone should do it.

AC: Any advice for your readers?

Dr. Loui: Look to this day for it is life. Also recognize that life is short, so you can eat dessert first.