The Department of Defense has awarded $7.7 million in support for a partnership between the Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i and Tripler Army Medical Center.

The three-year research partnership announced yesterday will benefit civilians and military personnel in Hawai'i, according to the center, a research unit of the University of Hawai'i.

"The result of this affiliation will be a high-quality Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i that conducts cutting-edge research and makes state-of-the-art cancer care accessible to all the citizens of Hawai'i, both military and civilian, and the Pacific," U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai'i, said in a statement.

Among other things, the award will support the study of cancer cell metastases, or the transmission of cancerous cells from an original site to one or more sites elsewhere in the body. It also will focus on the discovery and development of new anti-cancer agents.

With new money available for clinical trials, it is anticipated that the number of civilian and military participants in federally financed national cooperative cancer studies will increase, the research center said.

Dr. Carl-Wilhelm Vogel, research center director, and Maj. Gen. Gail Pollock, medical center commander, said they looked forward to a significant increase in collaboration between the state and military facilities.

The Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i is one of 61 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the country.