Researchers Seeking More Minority Women for "Sister Study" on Breast Cancer Risk

Researchers of a large breast cancer study of sisters are encouraging more minority women to enroll to ensure a diverse study sample and far-reaching results. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) plans to enroll 50,000 women in its Sister Study by the end of 2007. The study's purpose is to study breast cancer risk factors in sisters of women diagnosed with breast cancer. As of August 7, 2007, 39,176 women had enrolled in the study, 12% of whom represent minorities.

"During 2007, our last recruitment year, we are urgently requesting each of you or your organization to help us get 5 to 50 women to enroll in the study," the Sister Study website stated.

The largest study of its kind to study breast cancer risk factors, the Sister Study will follow participants for 10 years. Women who develop breast cancer will be compared with those who do not. At the onset of the study, participants will be asked to complete several questionnaires and provide a sample of their blood, urine, toenails, and household dust.

Currently, the Sister Study has enrolled:
2,531 African American sisters
463 American Indian sisters
335 Asian sisters
1,300 Latina sisters
5,329 senior sisters aged 65-74

By studying women who have similar genes and often share similar environments, researchers hope to gain insight into the causes of breast cancer. Women who meet the following requirements may be eligible to enroll in the Sister Study:
Be between 35 and 74 years of age
Live in the United States
Have no personal history of breast cancer Have a sister (living or deceased) who has had breast cancer

According to the Sister Study website, "through a range of questionnaires and samples from the participants, the 10-year study will take a detailed look at how women's genes, and things women come in contact with at home, at work, and in the community may influence breast cancer risk."

Women who enroll in the Sister Study will be mailed a study kit that contains study information, questionnaires, and material to use when collecting urine, toenail, and household dust samples. In addition, women will be required to participate in a visit by a female health professional during which time a blood test and other various tests will be administered. Paper questionnaires and a telephone interview are also required.

Additional Resources and References
Imaginis.com provides additional information about the Sister Study at http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/sister_study.asp
To volunteer or learn more about the Sister Study, please visit http://www.sisterstudy.org/ or call 1.877.4SISTER (1.877.474.7837). Deaf/Hard of Hearing call 1.866.TTY.4SIS (1.866.889.4747)

New Breast Scan Doesn't Squeeze

Surely, every woman who has ever had her breasts squeezed between two plastic plates during a mammography has thought, "There's got to be a better way."

There just might be.

An ongoing study being conducted by physicians at the University of Rochester and the Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic is showing promise for a new technology called Cone Beam Breast Computed Tomography.


So far, the technique has produced breast images that are just as good as — and in some cases, better than —those taken with mammography with a similar X-ray dose but without the need for any uncomfortable squeezing.

And while it may not initially replace mammography altogether, it could add another layer of confidence to diagnosing suspicious abnormalities in the breast.

"We think at least 15 percent of cancers can't be diagnosed because they are hiding," said physician Avice O'Connell, director of women's imaging at the University of Rochester's Medical Center, co-author in the study.

That may be part of the reason why breast cancer remains the biggest cancer killer of women, after lung cancer, with 270,000 cases diagnosed and 40,000 deaths annually in the United States alone.

Finding diseased tissue is a challenge because each woman's breast differs in tissue composition. For example, cancer is somewhat easier to spot in breasts with lots of fatty tissue and more difficult to spot in breasts that have less fat and more of the fibrous glandular tissue that produces milk.

If a woman has a mammogram and the clinician spots something suspicious, the patient may be asked to undergo an ultrasound and then a biopsy.

In at least 75 to 80 percent of the cases, the suspicious masses turn out to be nothing to worry about, said Daniel Kopans, professor of radiology and director of breast imaging at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Kopans is not associated with the study.

On the other side of the coin, even the best mammographers under the best conditions will miss 15 percent of tumors, said O'Connell.

"It's like trying to find a snowman in a snowstorm," she said. "You can't see it until you come up close to it."

Cone Beam CT has the potential to significantly improve diagnosis.

by: Tracy Staedter, Discovery News