April 15, 2008 12:48 pm
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Women from every community can play an important role in discovering the causes of breast cancer. The Sister Study, conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health, is committed to enrolling 50,000 diverse women, from all walks of life, whose sisters had breast cancer. The prospective observational study will help researchers learn how environment and genes affect the chances of getting the disease. Is breast cancer caused by something women come in contact with at home, at work, in their communities or in the personal products they use? Are some women at greater risk because of small variations in genes that interact with exposures? That’s what the Sister Study is trying to answer.
Breast cancer risk may be influenced by our environment, but pinpointing specific environmental causes hasn’t been easy. Previous studies have found some clues:
Breast cancer rates vary over time and geographic region.
Identical twins rarely both get breast cancer.
Many chemicals cause mammary tumors in animals.
Lifestyle environmental factors, such as alcohol consumption, diet, and exercise appear to be related to breast cancer risk.
Exposures to radiation, solvents, or some pesticides appear to be related to breast cancer risk.
Fewer than 20% of women with breast cancer have any family history of the disease, and less than half of all women diagnosed with breast cancer have any of the known risk factors. Sister Study researchers believe there is much more to be learned about how environment and genes are related to breast cancer risk. Women ages 35 to 74 may be eligible to join the study if their sister (living or deceased) related to them by blood, had breast cancer; they have never had breast cancer themselves; and they live in the United States or Puerto Rico. The study is quickly approaching the goal of enrolling 50,000 diverse women, but to ensure the results benefit all women, researchers are asking African Americans, Latinas, Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans to enroll immediately. Caucasian women with high school degree or less, or who are between the ages of 65-74 are also still needed.
The study is no longer enrolling new volunteers who are Caucasians 35-64 years old with more than a high school degree — these women are already well represented in the study group. During the remaining months of enrollment, the Sister Study is making special outreach to women who have ever held blue collar or non-traditional jobs, because of the wide-range of environmental and chemical exposures that might be found at work.
“Our entire team is delighted to be close to reaching our goal of enrolling 50,000 sisters, so we can begin to focus on the real purpose of our research – finding causes of breast cancer,” said Dale Sandler, Ph.D., Chief of the Epidemiology Branch at NIEHS and Principal Investigator of the Sister Study. She added, “Every year, thousands of women are diagnosed with breast cancer. One day we would like to be able to prevent breast cancer in our daughters and granddaughters.”
The study team makes every effort to ensure that participants feel safe and comfortable with the study and that participation is as convenient as possible. At the beginning, women will answer some over-the-phone and written surveys, and provide blood, urine, household dust and toenail samples. After that for about 10 years, the Sister Study will touch base once a year to learn about changes to a participant’s address, health or environment. The Sister Study does not require participants to take any medicine, undergo any medical treatments, or make any changes to their habits, diet or daily life.
Women who may have felt helpless as they watched their sisters battle breast cancer now have an opportunity to help researchers learn more about causes of the disease. Barbara Barnes of Pennsylvania is one of the women currently enrolled in the Sister Study. She’s making a difference in breast cancer research while serving as the State Vice President of the Coalition of Labor Union Women. Barnes joined the Sister Study after her sister Susan died from breast cancer.
Zola Boone, who is over age 65, is a participant and spokesperson for the Sister Study. “I enrolled in the Sister Study because my two younger sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer,” says Boone of Maryland. “My youngest sister is a five-year survivor and my middle sister has just finished chemotherapy.”
Sister Study partners include the American Cancer Society, NIH’s National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Sisters Network Inc., Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, and Intercultural Cancer Council. In addition to working with its national partners, the Sister Study works with local, regional, and national organizations to inform diverse women about the study.
To volunteer or learn more about the Sister Study, visit www.sisterstudy.org, (for Spanish www.estudiodehermanas.org), or call toll free 1-877-4SISTER (877-474-7837). The Deaf/Hard of Hearing call 1-866-TTY-4SIS (866-889-4747). All activities are available in English and Spanish.
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