HONOLULU (KHON2) – On Saturday, Oct. 4, more than 200 people showed up to the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center in Kakaʻako for the “Diet & Nutrition for the Cancer Journey” event.
The event was free and focused on how healthy food, local culture, and connection can play a significant role in healing and cancer prevention.
The ‘Ohana Pink event, held in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, brought together patients, survivors, caregivers, and families.
Guests got to take part in a live cooking demo, hear from local experts, and even take home farm-fresh giveaways.
“Having so many people show up to this event reaffirms that diet and nutrition during the cancer journey is a topic of high interest — not only for current and past patients, but also caregivers and families, and people interested in learning how to prevent cancer,” said Dr. Jami Fukui, Chief of Clinical Breast Oncology at the UH Cancer Center.
Fukui also shared a key takeaway from the day: “Food is medicine. What we put in our bodies, how we process the food, really can help us with not only our overall health, but undergoing cancer prevention, cancer treatments, and really help us be our best healthy selves.”
Sharon Kaʻiulani Odom, Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance and a breast cancer survivor, reminded the audience how powerful food can be at every stage of life.
“What I was trying to get across in this presentation was how important food is as a preventive, but also as a treatment,” she said.
The event was part of the UH Cancer Center’s Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community, a program created to support and empower patients, survivors, and caregivers through free quarterly workshops.
The next event will take place on January 17, 2026, focusing on the caregiver’s journey.
For more information, visit UH Cancer Center.