Hematology/Oncology Division
Darryl Glaser, MD

The Division is dedicated to the treatment of children and adolescents with blood diseases and cancer. The outpatient clinic is located on the second floor of the Kapi`olani Medical Center in the Pediatric Ambulatory Unit (PAU), and hospitalized patients are cared for on the Wilcox ward. The staff is comprised of eight pediatric hematologist/ oncologists, two advanced practice pediatric oncology nurses, a social worker, an oncology pharmacist, and a full complement of oncology nurses. Division members work collaboratively within the John A Burns School of Medicine, the Kapi`olani Medical Center for Women and Children, and the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii. The Division meets the guidelines for a children’s Hematology-Oncology Level III Center by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Kapi`olani’s dedicated team is the only one of its kind in the state and cares for 98% of Hawaii’s children who are diagnosed with cancer. Approximately 40 new oncology cases are seen each year and 150 children are on active treatment at any one time. Two hundred additional patients are followed in the long-term follow-up clinic. Between five and ten bone marrow transplants are performed for children of the state each year. Approximately 50 patients with hematology problems are followed in the PAU, and ten new consultations are provided each month.

Cooperative Group Membership. We are a Member Institution of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), a national organization sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, dedicated to the treatment and cure of childhood cancer. Phase II and III clinical and biologic trials are available through COG for most childhood cancers. Robert Wilkinson, MD, serves as principal investigator for clinical trials, and all Division members actively enroll the majority of patients on these trials. Some members also participate in COG by serving nationally on Disease Committees. Carol Kotsubo, one of our advance practice nurses, was recently elected to a 5-year term to the COG Nursing Steering Committee.

Specialty clinics available to Hawaii’s children and adolescents include the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, a Coagulopathy Clinic, a Neutrophil Disorders Clinic, a Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic, and a Long-term Follow-up Clinic for survivors of childhood cancer.

Teaching. Division members participate actively in the education of medical students, pediatric residents, community physicians, and community groups throughout the State of Hawaii. Advanced practice pediatric oncology nurses are involved in hospital nursing orientation and ongoing oncology education in the hospital and community. They assist children on cancer treatment with school reintegration and give lectures at schools throughout the State. Division members sit on numerous hospital committees and attend and participate in the monthly educational Pediatric Tumor Board.

Research. Division members actively participate in clinical and basic research in oncology and hematology. Bench and translational research in the molecular biology of neuroblastoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma take place in laboratories at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and the Hawaii HIV and Immunobiology & Vaccine Laboratory at Leahi Hospital. Clinical research is ongoing through involvement with the Children’s Oncology Group and Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium protocols, the Center for Health Outcomes, and the University of Hawaii School of Medicine. Nursing research is also conducted through the University of Hawaii School of Nursing and nationally through the Children’s Oncology Group.

Cancer Support Services/ Community Groups. Most Division members participate in camps for patients and families throughout the year, three sponsored by the American Cancer Society and one by the Hemophilia Foundation of Hawaii. Many also work with the Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation assisting families with financial, educational and service needs. Others work with the Hawaii Cord Blood Bank, and some serve on the boards or committees of community organizations, such as the Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation, the Hemophilia Foundation of Hawaii, the American Cancer Society, HUGS, Hospice Hawaii, and the Oncology Nursing Society.