Lee E. Buenconsejo-Lum, MD
Associate Member, Population Sciences in the Pacific Program (Cancer Prevention in the Pacific), University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
Academic Appointment(s):
Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Designated Institutional Official and GME Director, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Degree(s):
MD , John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Family Medicine Residency Program, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Faculty Development Fellow, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine , University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Research Focus
Since 2002, Dr. Buenconsejo-Lum has worked with health leaders in the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Island (USAPI) jurisdictions in the areas of health workforce development, comprehensive cancer control, cancer surveillance, policy development and implementation for cervical cancer screening and other cancer risk factors. She has been the Principal Investigator of the Pacific Regional Cancer Registry program since 2009 and works closely with the USAPI regional epidemiologists and others to strengthen surveillance systems, health information and data flow related to cancer and cervical pre-cancers. Her work in the USAPI utilizes community-based, participatory approaches to program development and evaluation. Dr. Buenconsejo-Lum was the PI of a CDC cooperative agreement evaluating cervical cancer prevention and screening programs in the USAPI through the use of focus groups, community stakeholder surveys, Immunization and Cervical Cancer Program assessment surveys and provider surveys. She participated in an Expert Panel on Cervical Cancer Screening in the U.S. Insular Areas to share the current situation, resource challenges and opportunities with cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination programs in the USAPI. She was a co-investigator on an NCI P30 Administrative supplement to conduct a policy, system and environmental scan (which includes an online provider survey) to elucidate barriers and promoters of adolescent HPV vaccination in Hawaiʻi. In the UH Cancer Center's U54 partnership grant, she is a co-investigator for the pilot project utilizing text messaging to improve cervical cancer screening in Marshallese and Chuukese women, as well as leading the HPV vaccination improvement efforts of the Cancer Outreach Core. She was the Project Lead for the UHCC Administrative Supplement to Promote Cancer Prevention and Control Research in Low and Middle Income Countries (P30 Admin Supp). The P30 project, "Comparison of Cytology and Urine HPV DNA Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)," laid the foundation for community-based participatory translational research in Yap State, FSM and was the first randomized clinical trial in the FSM.
Selected Publications
Senkomago V, Royalty J, Miller JW, Buenconsejo-Lum LE, Benard VB, Saraiya M. Cervical cancer screening in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) in four US-Affiliated Pacific Islands between 2007-2015. Cancer Epi. Oct; 50)::260-267. PMID: 29120834 PMCID: PMC5739878 (10% effort)
Hernandez BY, Tareg AC, Reichhardt M, Agapito A, Zhu X, Sy AU. Yuji A, Kileen J, Chan O, Buenconsejo-Lum LE. (2018). Randomized controlled trial evaluating the utility of urine HPV DNA for cervical cancer screening in a Pacific Island population. J Glob Health Rep, July;2:2e2018016. DOI: 10.29392/joghr.2.e2018016 PMID: 30542667 PMCID: PMC6287926 (25% effort, PI).
Sy AU, Hernandez BY, Tareg A, Reichhardt M, Buenconsejo-Lum LE. (2017). Acceptability and Feasibility of a Community Based Participatory Research Project Comparing Cytology and Urine HPV DNA Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. Cancer Epidemiology. Oct; (50):283-288. PMID: 29120838 PMCI: PMC5739880 (25% effort, PI)
Tom A, Robinett H, Buenconsejo-Lum LE, Soon R, Hamilton M, Francisco-Natauan P, Hernandez BY. (2016). Promoting and providing HPV vaccination in Hawaii: barriers faced by health providers. J Community Health; Apr 2 PMID: 27038960 PMCID: PMC5659340 (25% effort)
Waxman AG, Buenconsejo-Lum LE, Cremer M, Feldman S, Ault KA, Cain JM, Diaz ML for the Expert Panel on Cervical Cancer Screening in the U.S. Territories Pacific Island Jurisdictions. (2015). Cervical Cancer Screening in the United States Affiliated Pacific Islands: Options and Opportunities. J Lower Genital Tract Disease; Jan; 20(1):97-104. DOI:10.1097/LGT.0000000000000161. PMID: 26704332 PMCID: PMC5672793 (40% effort)
Publication list via PubMed
Active Grants
LE Buenconsejo-Lum, Principal Investigator Pacific Regional Central Cancer Registry
1 U58 DP006312 - $2,250,500
"CDC National Program of Cancer Registries, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion "
The major goal of this project is to maintain the Pacific Regional Central Cancer Registry for the US Affiliated Pacific Island jurisdictions that will support and complement their jurisdiction and regional cancer control and chronic disease efforts. In addition to developing Regional polices and training specific to Cancer Registries, the project includes working with the jurisdictions' health information systems to improve health information management systems, death certification and quality improvement related to medical records. Other key partners include the Hawaiʻi Tumor Registry/University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center.
06/17 - 06/22
LE Buenconsejo-Lum, Co-Investigator; N. Palafox, Principal Investigator
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation
“Increasing Receipt of Cancer-related Services in Vulnerable Indigenous Pacific Populations: Strengthening local health systems and healthcare worker capacity”
This project aims to increase timely access to appropriate cancer-related services (screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, palliative care) by increasing health system-community coordination, outreach, and patient-centered engagement. This project creates a resource-appropriate telehealth network in four communities: Marshallese in Oceanview ( Hawaiʻi Island), Guam, CNMI and American Samoa. Project activities include using telehealth to train local health care providers and community health workers, develop local expertise in case management with the guidance of Hawaiʻi-based specialty providers and developing the infrastructure to eventually support billable telehealth services in the USAPI. Lessons learned will be scalable to the Freely Associated States and to other geographically remote Pacific Island communities.
07/18 – 6/21
LE Buenconsejo-Lum, Co-Investigator – Pilot Project 1 and Cancer Outreach Core; N. Palafox, PI
NCI 2 U54CA143727-06A1 - $1,015,895
"University of Guam/University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center Partnership (Comprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE)"
The goal of the U54 partnership between UOG and UHCC is to develop the cancer research capacity at UOG, develop cancer health disparity research at UHCC and increase the number of biomedical researchers who are of Pacific Islander ancestry. I am a Co-Investigator in both the Cancer Outreach Core and in Pilot Project 1, which will evaluate the effectiveness of community-based short message service (SMS) strategies to increase cervical cancer screening rates in underserved Pacific Islander populations who have migrated to Guam and Hawaiʻi within the last 5 years. The Cancer Outreach Core has a focus on increasing HPV vaccination rates in both Guam and Hawaiʻi, in addition to increasing physician and community knowledge of priority cancer prevention & screening goals.
09/15 – 08/20
