FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Darcy Sawatzki, 202-842-3600 x249
Tuesday, September 20, 2005 dsawatzki@hagersharp.com
Sister Study is Now Enrolling Spanish-Speaking Participants
Latinas Enroll in Breast Cancer Research to Help Future Generations
MIAMI, FL – Spanish-speaking women whose sister had breast cancer can now join the Sister Study, recruiters announced today at the Annual Conference of the National Association of Community Health Centers, here in Miami. The Sister Study, a breast cancer study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched nationally in October 2004 in English. Researchers say Latinas who join the Sister Study will have a lasting impact on the fight against breast cancer.
Women whose sister had breast cancer are joining the Sister Study to help researchers learn how the environment and genes affect the chances of getting the disease. The Sister Study, a national breast cancer study, is enrolling 50,000 diverse women, and particularly needs the assistance of Hispanic/Latina women.
“We are pleased that we can meet the needs of Spanish-speaking Latinas interested in the Sister Study, by offering them all study activities in Spanish from beginning to end,” said the study’s Principal Investigator, Dale Sandler, Ph.D., Chief of the Epidemiology Branch at NIEHS. She added, “Latinas have an important role to play in the Sister Study.”
Latinas, between the ages of 35 and 74, living in the United States are eligible for the Sister Study if their sister had breast cancer, but they have never had breast cancer themselves.
“I decided to join the Sister Study because I wanted to do whatever possible to fight breast cancer,” said Suárez. “It was very frustrating to see my sisters suffering, because there was not much I could do for them at that time. But now I am helping, and I encourage other Latina sisters to be part of the fight.”
Suárez added, “My sister and I want to help prevent future generations from going through what Brenda and Tany did.”
In Latinas, breast cancer is often diagnosed at a later stage. About 82 per 100,000 Hispanic women are afflicted with breast cancer every year and the mortality rates in Hispanics are higher than for Caucasian women.
Sisters may be the key to unlocking breast cancer risk mysteries. “By studying these sisters, who share the same genes, often had similar experiences and environments, and are at twice the risk of developing breast cancer, we have a better chance of learning what causes this disease," said Dr. Sandler. "That is why joining the Sister Study is so important.”
Larisa Caicedo, Executive Director of Nueva Vida, a non-profit organization for Latinas with breast cancer said, “We are eager to help the Sister Study find more Latinas to collaborate with the study.” She added, “The study will contribute to collection of data that will hopefully be used in the future for the benefit of Latinas and other communities.”
Volunteers in the Sister Study do not have to travel to a medical center or take any trial medications. At the beginning, they will simply answer questions about their life and health history, and places they've lived and worked. And they'll provide a sample of their blood, urine, toenails, and household dust. "After that, we'll contact them once a year to learn about changes in their health and environment. With that, we’ll be able to look at how genes, activities of daily life, and exposure to different things in our environment are related to breast cancer risk,” Dr. Sandler explained.
“We’ve made the process as easy, safe and convenient as possible, so we will come to you,” she added.
Organizations in partnership with the Sister Study include the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Sisters Network, Inc., the Y-ME Breast Cancer Organization, and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Many local, regional and national organizations concerned about women's health, including the National Hispanic/Latino Cancer Network (Redes en Acción) and the Latina Breast Cancer Agency are helping spread the word about the Sister Study.
To volunteer or learn more about the Sister Study, visit the web site www.estudiodehermanas or www.sisterstudy.org (English), or call toll free 1-877-4SISTER (877-474-7837), English and Spanish. Deaf/Hard of Hearing call 1-866-TTY-4SIS (866-889-4747).
