Filipino women in Hawai'i are more likely to get thyroid cancer, Caucasians have a higher rate of melanoma than other ethnic groups, and Japanese men have the highest incidence of colon or stomach cancers.

These are some of the findings that researchers and physicians who specialize in cancer will share today at the first Cancer Research Information Day. The free event is geared to let the public know what kind of work the University of Hawai'i Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i is doing. The CRCH is a research unit established by the UH Board of Regents as a freestanding independent institute in 1981.

"We want to inform the public of what we do in terms of cancer research," said Sharon Shigemasa, spokeswoman for the center. "It's important at this time because there is the tobacco tax bill that's in the Legislature that would give us funding. We are one of the few cancer centers that doesn't receive much support from the state. We get minimal funding from the university."

The measure, approved by the state Senate last week by a 19-5 vote, is now before the state House for consideration. No hearing date has been set.

Each year, 6,000 people are diagnosed with some form of cancer in Hawai'i, said Brenda Hernandez, director of the Hawai'i Tumor Registry. U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye's wife, Maggie, died Monday of colon cancer, despite surgery in 2004 to remove a cancerous growth from her large intestine. Her surgeons had pronounced that operation a success.

While the numbers are the same for areas of similar population size, Hawai'i's diverse ethnic population enables doctors and researchers to study incidences among different ethnic groups, Hernandez said. Like the Mainland, the No. 1 cancer for men is prostate cancer in Hawai'i and breast cancer for women. Lung cancer affects men and women equally, Hernandez said.

Ethnicity does play a role in some cancers, she said. In addition to thyroid cancer for Filipino women, studies show that more Japanese men get stomach and rectal cancer than other ethnic groups. Diet is believed to be the cause.

Alan Lau, who studies cancer cells, is one of the 11 speakers during the daylong informational event today at The Queen's Conference Center.

"The issue I will highlight is the chemicals in cigarette smoking that can lead to the changes in the genes that cause cancer," Lau said. "This will be a good opportunity for people to learn more about the various aspects of cancer."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.