The odds are that one woman in three will find a lump in her breast during her lifetime. One in nine will be diagnosed with breast cancer. While most lumps are benign, breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women. The good news is that if breast cancer is detected early, a woman's chances of survival are high.

In Hawai'i, the Comprehensive Breast Center at the Kapi'olani Women's Center is leading the fight against breast cancer, protecting women through timely mammography screenings and providing state-of-the-art care and treatment to those suffering from the disease. Geckos in Paradise is a major effort to raise at least $500,000 in support of the Kapi'olani Breast Center.

The Kapi'olani Breast Center is Hawai'i's only medical facility that delivers coordinated, patient-focused breast-health care in a single location. For every patient, it employs a multidisciplinary conference, where specialists from a range of disciplines - from oncology to psychology - discuss the course of care before treatment begins.

The focus at the Kapi'olani Breast Center is on early detection and the application of innovative technologies. As a center of research and resources, the Kapi'olani Breast Center has access to national clinical trials and research. Soon it will offer women digital mammography, which will make it easier for radiologists to detect early-stage cancers. This news technology will also provide test results faster than ever before.

But the Kapi'olani Breast Center transcends technology. It provides patients with on-site counseling and support groups. "Excellence, Compassion, Respect, Dignity. A place of warmth and comfort." These are the concepts the Kapi'olani Breast Center lives by.

The Kapi'olani Breast Center serves more than 18,000 women with mammography screenings each year. And it is growing. This spring (2004) they will move into additional space by occupying the entire fifth floor of the Kapi'olani Women's Center (1907 S. Beretania St., Honolulu).

As medical knowledge and technology continue to advance, the Kapi'olani Breast Center remains at the leading edge of detection and care. A facility like this, however, doesn't come cheaply. The Kapi'olani Breast Center represents a three-year (2003-2005) investment of nearly $5.3 million in facilities, technology and programs. That is why fundraising is essential, and why we ask for your support, as a sponsor and/or volunteer, for Geckos in Paradise.