Monday, April 14, 2008
Sister Study seeks UAW women to participate in critical breast cancer research
Researchers for the Sister Study, an in-depth long-term examination of women whose sisters had breast cancer, know they need a diverse group of women so the results of the study will apply to all women.
That's why researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health, are putting out the call for women in trades to join the Sister Study.
As the study approaches the goal of enrolling 50,000 diverse women, they continue special outreach to African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American women, and to women with blue-collar or non-traditional jobs. Caucasian women with a high school degree or less, or who are ages 65-74 are also still needed. Other groups are already well-represented in the study group.
"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, chief of the epidemiology branch at NIEHS and principal investigator of the Sister Study.
"Many UAW members have already enrolled in the Sister Study, and we encourage even more to join, so that their experiences and environments on the job and at home will be well-represented in the study," Sandler said. "We especially would love to have more Hispanics, African-Americans and other ethnic minorities from the UAW participate, so that results will also apply to these often overlooked populations."
Sisters of women with breast cancer are twice as likely as other women to have the disease, in part due to shared genes. But sisters likely share environments as well. Because sisters are more likely to share genes and exposures that may have led to breast cancer in the family, studying them is a powerful way to learn more about how environment and genes increase the chances of developing breast cancer. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the development of strategies to decrease the risk in women from all walks of life.
The researchers will study 50,000 women ages 35-74 who have not had breast cancer but whose sisters have. Women who join the study will answer some over-the-phone and written surveys, and provide blood, urine, household dust and toenail samples. These activities are divided into smaller parts to fit into work and home schedules, and the study is available in English and Spanish. Researchers plan to stay in touch with participants at least 10 years to learn about changes in address, health and environment.
To volunteer or learn more, visit the Sister Study Web site" or Estudio de Hermanas, or call toll-free (877) 4SISTER (877-474-7837). Those who are deaf/hard of hearing can call (866) TTY-4SIS (866-889-4747). All activities are available in English and Spanish.