Women play many important roles
throughout their lives—daughter, mother, and friend—but no relationship is as
unique as the one between two sisters. Sister Study researchers hope the
sisters of women with breast cancer
can play another important role by helping discover how our environment and
genes affect our chances of developing breast cancer.
The
Sister Study is a nationwide effort, conducted by the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, to learn about environmental and genetic causes
of breast cancer. Women ages 35 to 74 are eligible to join if their sister
(living or deceased), related to them by blood, had breast cancer; they have
never had breast cancer themselves; and they live in the
United States or
Puerto
Rico.
The Sister Study is particularly committed to enrolling
women in every state, and from all backgrounds, occupations, races and
ethnicities, so the study results represent and benefit all women. The women
enrolled in the Sister Study look like many of our relatives, friends, and
co-workers. They may even look like you.
Of the more than 33,000 women currently enrolled, here are a
few who are making a difference in breast cancer research. Retiree Cruz
Mireles, 58, joined because her sister is a breast cancer survivor. Jean
Peelen, 65, a government retiree and senior model enrolled and helps spread the
word about the Sister Study because one sister is a breast cancer survivor and
another died as a result of the disease. Also, Donna Castleberry, 46, who works
in a busy Los Angeles advertising firm, and Barbara Moore, 57, an on-the-go
Labor Relations Specialist for AFSCME did it because their sisters died of
breast cancer, before they even reached the age of 50.
The
study needs to enroll 50,000 women by the end of 2007, and with your help, it
can.
“Many
women have heard about the Sister Study, but they haven't signed up yet, and we
really need them now,” said Dale Sandler, Ph.D., Chief of the Epidemiology
Branch at NIEHS and Principal Investigator of the Sister Study. “Doctors know
very little about how the environment may affect breast cancer, that is why the
Sister Study is so important. We hope women will make that call today,” she
added
Organizations in partnership with the Sister Study include
the American Cancer Society, the Intercultural Cancer Council, the
National
Center on Minority Health and Health
Disparities of the National Institutes of Health, Sisters Network Inc., Susan
G. Komen for the Cure, and Y-ME National
Breast Cancer Organization.
The Sister Study is available in English and Spanish and can
be done from home when it is convenient for women. To learn more about the
Sister Study, visit the web site www.sisterstudy.org,
or for Spanish www.estudiodehermanas.org. A toll free number is also available
1-877-4SISTER (877-474-7837). Deaf/Hard of Hearing call 1-866-TTY-4SIS
(866-889-4747).
Woman by woman….Sister by sister…We can make a difference.