Quest for a Cure: Progress in Cancer Research
The Quest for a Cure is a public education event hosted annually by the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center. The Quest is an event for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer and wants to learn more about the disease. Topics include different cancer types and related cancer issues. Speakers include researchers from the UH Cancer Center as well as clinician partners from our oncology community.
Please contact Michelle Hashimoto at events@cc.hawaii.edu if you have questions or concerns.
‘Quest for a Cure: New Breakthroughs in Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials’
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | Event Flyer
A free public event focused on the latest breakthroughs in pancreatic cancer research.
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat, but a promising new drug, daraxonrasib, is offering renewed hope for patients with advanced disease.
This Quest for a Cure event highlighted this exciting breakthrough, with presentations by physicians from the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center who have played a direct role in advancing pancreatic cancer research. Among them, Dr. Elizabeth Nakasone discussed the pivotal clinical trials that helped bring daraxonrasib to patients and explained what this breakthrough could mean for the future of pancreatic cancer treatment. And Dr. Jared Acoba provided an update on the first-line pancreatic cancer clinical trial launching at The Queen's Medical Center and the continued expansion of innovative treatment options in Hawaiʻi.
Attendees also heard firsthand from patients receiving daraxonrasib, as well as pancreatic cancer survivors and caregivers, whose personal experiences illustrate the impact of these advances.