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The Sister Study
What causes one woman to develop breast cancer and not
another? Researchers know that weight, alcohol use, use of hormone
therapy after menopause, and other factors may slightly increase the
risk of breast cancer.
"There is little I can do to remove the scars or ease the
pain Patricia endures. That is why enrolling in The Sister Study is so
important to me. I know that by becoming part of the research into
breast cancer, I can help my daughters, Elizabeth and Leah, and future
generations."
— Gina Gordick, Sister
Study
Participant
But a lot of women who have one or more of these risk factors
never develop the disease. In contrast, many women with breast cancer
have no known risk factors (other than age and being female, which are
the main risk factors for breast cancer).
In 2004, researchers from the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) started recruiting women to be
part of the Sister Study. This is a long-term, nationwide study looking
at how a woman's genes and environment might affect her chances of
getting breast cancer.
The Sister Study includes 50,000 women, ages 35-74. The women
have not had breast cancer themselves, but their sisters have. Over the
10 years of the study, these women will complete telephone interviews
and fill out questionnaires. They will have their blood drawn and give
samples of urine, toenail clippings, and household dust. They will also
complete health updates each year. Researchers will then compare study
members who go on to develop breast cancer with those who do not
develop the disease. This way, they hope to learn about possible
environmental and genetic causes for the disease, as well as ways to
prevent breast cancer.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is
funding the research, which is being led by two NIEHS scientists, Dale
Sandler, PhD, and Clarice Weinberg, PhD. Enrollment was completed in
March of 2009, so no one else can sign up for this study.
To find out more about the study, visit www.sisterstudy.org
or call 1-877-4SISTER (1-877-474-7837).
Looking at families: The Two Sister Study
In August 2008, NIEHS researchers launched the Two Sister
Study, which builds on the work of the Sister Study. The Two Sister
Study will focus on women who develop breast cancer at a young age.
Enrollment is through invitation only: breast cancer survivors whose
cancer-free sisters are already enrolled in the Sister Study may be
eligible to join if they were diagnosed less than 4 years ago and were
under age 50 at the time.
The goal is to enroll up to 2,000 survivors. The volunteers
will need to provide detailed health information and updates, as well
as spit (saliva) samples for DNA analysis. NIEHS researchers will then
compare the sisters with and without breast cancer, and look for
possible genetic and environmental links. The sisters' parents are also
being invited to take part. The research is being funded by the Susan
G. Komen for the Cure and the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences. It is being directed by Weinberg, Sandler, and Lisa
DeRoo, PhD, also of NIEHS.
If you want to help researchers learn more about what causes
breast cancer, but are not eligible for the Sister Studies, contact the
following organizations. They can help you find out about research
studies you may be eligible for:
Last Medical Review: 08/25/2009
Last Revised: 08/25/2009
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