St. Luke's Hospital is participating in The Sister Study, a study sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences which looks at the role of environmental and genetic factors on the development of breast cancer. We know that sisters of women with breast cancer are at higher risk for developing breast cancer themselves. Sisters share some of the same genes and exposures, which may explain their higher risk. By studying the sisters of women with breast cancer and following them over time, we hope to learn a great deal about the risk factors for breast cancer.
There is no cost to participate in the Sister Study. To to be part of the study, you must be between the ages of 35 and 74 and have a sister related to you by blood (by at least one parent), living or deceased, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life. However, you must not have been diagnosed with breast cancer yourself.
The 50,000 women who join in this effort will provide information about their health, lifestyle and environment. They will be asked to update some of that information annually for 10 years or more years. As a part of the study, researchers will compare the information provided by participants who develop breast cancer while in the study and those who do not to identify clues to the causes of breast cancer and ways to prevent it.
For more information, please call 314-205-6090.
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