Cancer Support Resources in Hawaii

Hawaii’s island geography creates a unique cancer care challenge — patients on neighbor islands like Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island often fly to Honolulu for specialized treatment, adding cost and stress to an already difficult time. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities also carry higher cancer incidence rates and face cultural barriers to care. This directory covers support services for patients, survivors, and families across the Aloha State.

Hawaii’s breathtaking beauty belies the serious challenges cancer patients face in the most isolated population center on Earth. Island isolation means that many patients on neighbor islands must fly to Honolulu or even the mainland for specialized oncology care, adding enormous travel costs and emotional strain to an already overwhelming diagnosis. Inter-island flights, hotel stays, and ground transportation create financial burdens that compound Hawaii’s extreme cost of living, where housing, groceries, and utilities already far exceed national averages. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders experience significant health disparities, with higher rates of certain cancers and lower rates of screening and early detection driven by historical inequities, cultural barriers, and limited access to culturally responsive care.

The financial burden of neighbor island cancer care is difficult to overstate. A patient on the Big Island beginning a six-week course of radiation therapy faces not just medical costs but airfare, hotel stays, and daily expenses in Honolulu — a city with some of the highest living costs in the United States. For a family relying on a single income, this can mean choosing between completing a full treatment course and keeping housing. Travel and lodging assistance programs through organizations like the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, the Aloha United Way 2-1-1 network, and island-specific nonprofits have formed largely to address this specific financial gap for neighbor island patients.

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities bear a cancer burden shaped by decades of systemic inequity in healthcare access. Native Hawaiians have some of the highest cancer mortality rates in the state, driven by elevated rates of liver, stomach, and lung cancers, combined with lower rates of regular screening and later-stage diagnoses. Cultural factors — including a preference for family-centered decision-making, spiritual approaches to illness, and historical trauma associated with Western medical institutions — influence how communities engage with conventional cancer care. Programs that incorporate Hawaiian values of ohana (family), mālama (care), and lōkahi (unity) consistently reach these communities more effectively than standard clinical outreach.

Molokai and Lanai represent the most extreme end of Hawaii’s access challenge. These smaller islands have no hospitals — all emergencies and specialist care require transport to Oahu or Maui. Cancer patients on these islands must effectively relocate for extended periods of active treatment, separating from their families and communities at the most vulnerable time of their lives. Telehealth has provided some relief for monitoring and follow-up, but chemotherapy and radiation cannot be delivered remotely, and the logistical and emotional burden on patients and their families is significant.

Outside Oahu, oncology resources are severely limited. Maui, the Big Island, Kauai, and especially Molokai and Lanai have few or no resident oncologists, forcing patients to leave their families and support networks for weeks or months of treatment. Military families stationed at Pearl Harbor, Schofield Barracks, and other installations face their own navigation challenges within the TRICARE system. Despite these obstacles, Hawaii’s tight-knit communities, strong cultural traditions of mutual aid (kokua), and dedicated healthcare organizations work tirelessly to bridge these gaps. This guide connects patients across all islands with over 100 organizations offering financial assistance, emotional support, transportation, lodging, and specialized care navigation throughout every stage of the cancer journey.

Showing all 103 resources

Statewide Resources

Programs and services available to cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers across all Hawaiian islands.

Honolulu & Oahu

As Hawaii’s population center, Oahu offers the most concentrated cancer care resources in the state, serving as the primary treatment hub for neighbor island patients as well.

Maui County

Cancer support resources serving Maui island, as well as Maui County’s outer islands of Molokai and Lanai when noted.

Big Island (Hawaii County)

Cancer support resources serving the Big Island, the largest Hawaiian island with widely dispersed communities across its Hilo and Kona sides.

Kauai

Cancer support resources on the Garden Isle, where limited local oncology services mean many patients must travel to Oahu for treatment.

Molokai & Lanai

Resources for Hawaii’s smallest populated islands, where residents face the most extreme isolation and must travel off-island for virtually all cancer treatment.

Military Bases (Pearl Harbor / Schofield)

Cancer support resources for active duty service members, veterans, and military families stationed at Hawaii’s major installations.

Rural & Outer Island Communities

Resources designed to reach Hawaii’s most remote and underserved communities, addressing the extreme geographic and cultural barriers to cancer care.

Explore support in other Pacific states: California, Washington, Alaska, or browse all states.