Sister Study seeks breast cancer research volunteers

A breast cancer research program only needs less than 9,000 more volunteers in order to fulfill its goal of 50,000 women.

According to the official Web site of the Sister Study located at www.sisterstudy.org, the research program is the only one of its kind. The program has recruited many women whose sisters have had breast cancer.

"The Sister Study is the only long-term study of women aged 35 to 74 whose sisters have had breast cancer. It is a national study to learn how environment and genes affect the chances of getting breast cancer," the Web site said.

The study, launched in October 2004, was given three years to recruit 50,000 women to be a part of the research. Although the study currently has 43,880 participants, the organization is asking for women to recruit others whom they know will meet the study requirements in order for the desired number of participants to be reached.

Dale Sandler, chief of the epidemiology branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and principal investigator of the Sister Study, said that hopefully through this program women will be able to understand why they have breast cancer.

"Every year thousands of women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and one day we would like to be able to tell them why," Sandler said.

Sister Study volunteers are required to give very little of their time to the research. This 10-year observational study involves participants answering questions about their diets, jobs, hobbies and the various things that they have been exposed to throughout their lives. This information will help researchers determine the possible reasons women are developing breast cancer. At some point in the study, the volunteer will need to donate samples of blood, urine, toenail clippings, and house dust samples. These donations will give the researchers a better picture of the volunteers' environments and genes.

Sister Study researchers offer strong warnings to all women about the hazards of breast cancer and the probability of each woman developing it.

"The risk for breast cancer increases as you get older. It is the most common cancer (excluding skin cancer) and the most common cause of cancer death in women over the age of 65. Research shows that breast cancer rates rise as women age, with a notable increase among women between the ages of 50 and 75," the Web site said.

According to research, the numbers of women who develop this disease has greatly increased.

"During the past 30 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer after age 50. Today, 48 percent of all breast cancers are diagnosed in women older than 65. It is also estimated that the number of breast cancer cases in older women may increase by as much as 30 percent over the next 10 years as the baby boom population continues to age," the information said.

The Sister Study has determined that women can take preventive measures which will decrease the possibility of death due to breast cancer.

"Research suggests that the number of breast cancer deaths in women aged 50 to 75 years can be reduced by 25 percent to 30 percent if women have routine screening mammograms. In fact, there is some evidence that screening mammograms for women 65 and older are more effective in the detection of breast cancer than are mammograms in younger women," the Web site stated.

The Sister Study is made up of several partner organizations: The American Cancer Society, the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Sisters Network Inc., the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization and the Intercultural Cancer Council are all working together to complete this much needed research.

For more information about the Sister Study, call (877) 474-7837 or visit www.sisterstudy.org.