The prestige and funding associated with designation as a National Cancer Institute center is at stake for Hawaii's Cancer Research Center with an official NCI visit tomorrow and Tuesday.

The University of Hawaii center receives about $1.5 million annually as one of 65 centers designated by the NCI for “;scientific excellence.”;

Dr. Michele Carbone acknowledged that renewal of the designation was “;in jeopardy”; when he was appointed Cancer Research Center director last August after nine months in an interim capacity. But now he says he's optimistic because of developments addressing major NCI concerns.

A special external advisory board identified priority areas to maintaining the NCI designation and grant after a site visit a year ago.

They included: protection of state cigarette tax funds going to the center, construction of a new research facility, recruitment of funded investigators, reduction of faculty attrition, development of a matrix cancer center model to support clinical cancer research, establishment of an endowment and preservation of federal grants.

An NCI panel of scientific peers “;will judge the merit of the center overall,”; Dr. Linda Weiss, director of the NCI's Office of Cancer Centers, said in an e-mail.

Carbone says the center has gained momentum because of the recent developments, which include:

» Selection of a team to design and build a 150,000-square-foot cancer research center on the John A. Burns School of Medicine's Kakaako site. The university last August terminated Townsend Capital, retained in 2005 to develop the new center. A lawsuit is pending against UH by Townsend alleging breach of contract.

» Establishment of a consortium with the Queen's Medical Center, Hawaii Pacific Health and Kuakini Medical Center allowing cancer researchers to use their facilities. Queen's and HPH are each paying the Cancer Research Center $1 million a year and Kuakini $200,000 to help run the cancer center and recruit faculty.

» Recruitment to fill 10 faculty positions with funded investigators whose salaries will be paid from consortium and cigarette tax money.

The new facility has been downsized with the estimated cost dropping from $200 million to $120 million because Carbone abandoned the idea of a clinical facility as impractical and duplicating what hospitals are doing. Digging should start in early summer and construction completed in three years, he said. The cancer center is essential to address cancer issues “;unique or prevalent in Hawaii”; and “;because of the consortium we've created in town, there is a general well-wishing behind it,”; Carbone said. “;That is why I am optimistic.”;

A noted mesothelioma cancer researcher, Carbone and his team (now 10 members) joined UH in June 2006 from Loyola University with $15 million in funding for five years. He was chairman of the medical school's pathology department for two years and appointed interim Cancer Research Center director in December 2008.

Strongly supporting him for the job were the consortium hospitals, dean of the UH medical school, American Cancer Society, some legislators and others outside the center.

Dr. Mark Clanton, former NCI official who heads the Special External Advisory Board, said, “;For a man who's been in place only a few months, he's had extraordinary accomplishments.”;

However, 90 percent of faculty members—including some with the largest grants—sent a mass letter and individual letters to UH administrators opposing Carbone's appointment over three mainland candidates. Though an outstanding researcher, he lacked the required administrative experience and “;did not seek or accept input from the faculty,”; they said.

Asked about his current relations with the faculty, he said: “;There is one group of faculty that is very positive and one group that is not positive. It is impossible to run the center and trying to make people happy. I have to run the center for success of the cancer center, to make a cancer center that is strong and competitive.”;

Cigarette tax money, flowing in at a rate of about $19 million a year, is being used to build the new facility, hire more faculty, and lease 28,000 square feet in the Gold Bond building (costing more than $1 million a year) for administrative offices and some research programs. Some researchers remain at the $1-a-year building next to Queen's at 1236 Lauhala St.