One Million Strong Starts with One—YOU

The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation's Army of Women Program (made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Avon Foundation for Women) offers a revolutionary new opportunity for YOU to partner with research scientists to move breast cancer beyond a cure.

What is involved?

• Register TODAY and provide us with very basic information such as your name, email, age, city, and state of residence.
• You will receive email updates from us announcing new research studies looking for volunteers with or without breast cancer, just like you. There are many different types of studies. Some might require you to complete a questionnaire, while others might need a sample of blood, urine, saliva, breast fluid, or breast tissue. Some studies might be clinical trials testing a new detection marker or drug. You decide which studies you want to take part in. The email will detail the research project and who and what the researchers need.
• If you fit the criteria and you’d like to participate, all you need to do is “RSVP” and let us know you’ve accepted our “Call to Action.” You will be asked to go through an online screening process to confirm you fit the criteria for the study.
• Once we confirm your eligibility for the specific study, your information will be given to the researcher conducting the study and you will be contacted by the researcher for a secondary screening to make sure you meet the study criteria and answer any questions you might have about study participation.
• You are in complete control and you self select what you want to do! You will never be pressured to take part in any study. The decision to take part is yours—and yours alone.

Breast cancer has been around for decades, but it does not have to be our future. We can be the generation that eliminates breast cancer by identifying what causes this disease and stopping it before it starts. Sign up for your sister, mother, daughter, granddaughter, best friend, and the woman you met last week.

Have more questions? Visit our FAQ

Ready to sign up Today?

Current AOW Studies Looking for Volunteers

Effects of Depo Provera on Breast Tissue Study
The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the effects of Depo Provera, which contains a high dose of a synthetic progestin, on the breast tissue.

Shift Work and Breast Cancer Risk Study
The research team is studying breast tissue samples from women who have not had breast cancer, who have worked either day shifts or night shifts for at least five consecutive years to better understand whether wake/sleep cycle disruptions may increase breast cancer risk. Later, the researchers will compare the samples collected from women who have not had breast cancer to breast tissue samples collected from women with breast cancer.

Discovery of Early Markers of Breast Cancer (Phase 1)
A research team at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is investigating whether the amount of DNA damage seen in the cells in normal breast tissue may be an indicator of future breast cancer risk. The researchers are recruiting women who had a benign breast biopsy and then went on to develop breast cancer AND women who had a benign breast biopsy but did NOT go on to develop breast cancer. By recruiting women who did develop breast cancer and women who did not, they will be able to look for markers in the breast cells that might be an indicator of breast cancer risk. This Call to Action is for women who had a benign breast biopsy and then developed breast cancer one or more years later.

Phase Ib Trial of 2nd Generation Designer T Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer
The purpose of this Phase Ib clinical trial is to determine whether a high dose of designer T cells is better when given with or without interleukin 2 (IL2), a drug that is thought to stimulate the immune system. For this reason, some of the study participants will receive modified T cells alone, whereas others will receive modified T cells along with IL2. The researcher would like to enroll about 12 people in this study. Phase I studies typically look at the safety and side effects of a new treatment. This is a Phase Ib study, so it is not only monitoring safety but also looking at whether the experimental treatment being studied is effective. In this case, effectiveness will be measured by how active the T cells become and how much the tumor shrinks.

The Milk Study
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst are studying the breast cells normally found in breast milk to see if there are any epigenetic differences–which have the potential to be reversed–between women whose biopsies turn out to be healthy and those whose biopsies show a problem, such as cancer. Learning more about these epigenetic differences may eventually help researchers develop a way to provide women with information about their breast cancer risk. The researchers have already enrolled more than 250 women, but most of the samples have come from Caucasian women. Since breast cancer risk factors differ among ethnic groups, the researchers are particularly interested in enrolling African-American women, Latinas, Asian women, and other ethnic minorities.

Hormones, the KRAS-variant, and Breast Cancer Risk
By studying the DNA (genetic material) that can be found in a saliva sample, these researchers hope to learn how known risk factors, such as hormone replacement therapy or other types of estrogen exposure, affect breast cancer risk for women who have their biomarkers. If you enroll in this study, you will NOT receive any individual genetic results. Every participant is assigned an anonymous study number, and no information is connected to a name. This means that there is no way for the researcher to ever tell you anything about your results. By taking part in this study you will be helping researchers identify and learn more about the impact of hormones on women with certain biomarkers that could help prevent and treat breast cancer in the future.

Breast Cancer Risk in Young Women Study
The purpose of the study is to learn what genetic factors may play a role in the development of breast cancer in young women. The researchers need to recruit 5,000 women who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer when they were 40 years old or younger for this study.

Breast Cancer Microbiota Study
The purpose of this study is to find out what types of bacteria are found in the intestines and how these bacteria metabolize estrogen and other female hormones. The researchers are comparing the bacteria found in women who have never had breast cancer, women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer within the last 5 years, and women who have never had breast cancer but who have a first-degree relative WITH breast cancer.

Pregnancy and Breast Cancer Risk Study
The research team will analyze breast tissue samples from women without breast cancer. They are studying both women who have given birth (both early and later in life) and those who have not. They are specifically looking at the stroma, the breast tissue that supports the breast ducts, as they want to determine what role it plays in breast cancer. They are also going to study whether the age a woman becomes pregnant, the number of pregnancies she has had, and whether or not she has breast-fed has an affect on the stroma.

BEAT Cancer Study
This study is evaluating the effectiveness of the BEAT Cancer program for breast cancer survivors. The research team will compare the effects of the intervention to usual care (written materials about exercise for cancer survivors) on short- and longer-term physical activity adherence among breast cancer survivors.

Inflammation Changes Over Time In Obese, Overweight, and Normal Weight Women
The research team is studying nipple aspirate fluid and blood to determine if inflammation biomarkers are: 1. higher in breast fluid than in the circulating blood; 2. higher in obese and overweight women compared with normal weight women; and 3. more variable through the menstrual cycle of premenopausal women compared to postmenopausal women.

Low Dose Tamoxifen Breast Cancer Prevention Study
The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of two years of low-dose tamoxifen on breast density and other biological markers (biomarkers) associated with increased breast cancer risk in female childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer survivors treated with chest or axilla radiation by the age of 40. The study is also measuring the safety and tolerability of tamoxifen at the lower dose. This will be determined by laboratory test results and questionnaires on side effects.

At-Home Support for Rural Women Using Group Video Calling
This study will investigate whether a professionally led breast cancer support group that uses video calling, and which women can take part in from their home, is feasible, useful, and satisfactory for breast cancer survivors in rural California.

Interpersonal Therapy for Depression in Breast Cancer Study
The purpose of this study is to see which type of talk therapy is the most effective treatment for depression in women and men who have had a breast cancer diagnosis. It is open to women and men who were diagnosed with stage I-IV breast cancer more than six months ago.

Latina Breast Cancer Initiative
In an effort to find the best way to help medical providers and Latinas diagnosed with breast cancer, researchers have developed a study to investigate Latinas’ experience with cancer. The focus of this study is on quality of life and the psychological adjustment after breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. You don’t have to leave your house to participate! Interviews can be conducted in English or Spanish. A total of 150 women are needed for this study.

Vitamin D3 Effects on Musculoskeletal Symptoms with Use of Aromatase Inhibitors (D3AI)
The study compares two doses of vitamin D3: the current recommended daily allowance (600 IU/day) and the known upper safe level (4,000 IU/day). The main goals of this study are to determine whether higher daily doses of vitamin D3 reduce musculoskeletal pain better than the standard daily dose; determine whether higher doses of vitamin D3 makes it easier for women who have musculoskeletal pain to stay on an aromatase inhibitor for a longer period of time; and compare changes in estrogen levels, bone density and body composition, between women assigned to the two different doses of vitamin D3.

Sister Survivor: Improving the Survivorship Care of African-American Women with Breast Cancer
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a peer navigator program on helping African-American breast cancer survivors obtain and follow a survivorship care plan. A survivorship care plan consists of two components: (1) a treatment summary describing the cancer diagnosis, history, stage, and primary treatments received; and (2) a follow-up care plan that includes information on recovering from treatment, ways to maintain good health, and recommendations for care.

Discovery of Early Markers of Breast Cancer (Phase 2)
A research team at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is investigating whether the amount of DNA damage seen in the cells in normal breast tissue may be an indicator of future breast cancer risk. The researchers are currently recruiting women who had had a benign breast biopsy and then went on to develop breast cancer (Phase 1). NOW, they also need women who had a benign breast biopsy but did NOT go on to develop breast cancer (Phase 2). By recruiting women who did develop breast cancer and women who did not, they will be able to look for markers in the breast cells that might be an indicator of breast cancer risk. This Call to Action is for women who had a benign breast biopsy but did NOT go on to develop breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Cognitive Rehabilitation Study
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a rehabilitation group intervention program for breast cancer survivors who are experiencing memory loss and concentration problems associated with cancer treatments. About 60 women will take part in the study.

Asian American Community Health Initiative
The overall goal of this study is to gather information that can help us understand why breast cancer rates are high and increasing among some Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women in the San Francisco Bay Area. To do this the research team needs to gather information from both women with and without breast cancer. The research team has already enrolled women with breast cancer; therefore the Army of Women is only recruiting women who have never had breast cancer.

Study of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation in Premenopausal Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer
The research team is studying whether high-dose vitamin D supplements can prevent breast cancer in high-risk women by reducing breast density, as seen on mammography. Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) is sponsoring the study. The investigators include: Katherine Crew, MD, MS, and Dawn Hershman, MD, MS, Columbia University, New York, NY; Powel Brown, MD, PhD, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Gary Goodman, MD, SWOG Chemoprevention Subcommittee and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA; Garnet Anderson, PhD, and Danika Lew, MS, SWOG Data Operations and Statistical Center, Seattle, WA; and all participating SWOG members, the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP), and Affiliate Medical Oncologists and Surgeons. SWOG is one of the five cooperative groups that together comprise the National Cancer Institute’s National Clinical Trials Network. SWOG designs and conducts multidisciplinary clinical trials to improve the practice of medicine in preventing, detecting, and treating cancer, and to enhance the quality of life for cancer survivors. Learn more about SWOG here: http://www.swog.org/Visitors/AboutUs.asp

We Stand Ready to Help You

The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation's Army of Women Program, is dedicated to accelerating research into the cause and prevention of breast cancer. Our goal is to form partnerships between women and scientists.

The Army of Women members are eager to work with any researcher who is involved in or contemplating research in understanding the cause and prevention of breast cancer. The Army of Women can ACCELERATE your research, and give you ACCESS to over 300,000 women willing to give tissue, fluid, blood or information.

We have established key relationships with the American Association for Cancer Research and the National Breast Cancer Coalition. As our collaborators, both organizations are assisting with the recruitment of scientists and women, and both organizations also hold positions on the Army of Women Steering Committee and the Scientific Advisory Committee.

Look for us at your upcoming research or medical meeting!

Learn more about how we can accelerate your research

Collaborators

Featured Blog Updates

Apr 29th, 2013

San Francisco Bay Area Women Who Have Not Had Cancer Posted by drlove at 1:37 pm | 0 Comments

Apr 17th, 2013

Your Saliva Can Help Researchers Learn How To Prevent Breast CAncer Posted by drlove at 10:19 am | 1 Comment

Apr 15th, 2013

Army of Women - Studies You Can Join Posted by drlove at 12:04 pm | 1 Comment

Apr 15th, 2013

April Success Stories: Three Study Closures Posted by drlove at 11:58 am | 1 Comment

Read All Blog Updates

Follow and connect with us on Twitter!

ArmyofWomen: Dr. Love chats w/ Huffington Post about Jolie's BRCA announcement. WATCH what women need to know: http://t.co/UKrLRZ6bQr #breastcancer
Posted: May 15, 2013 at 1:00 pm

ArmyofWomen: How does working the night shift increase breast cancer risk? Help us find out Indianapolis! http://t.co/79kvpapPzl
Posted: May 15, 2013 at 12:40 pm

ArmyofWomen: RT @nytimeshealth: Angelina Jolie’s Disclosure Highlights a Breast Cancer Dilemma http://t.co/VIvN59lBm1
Posted: May 14, 2013 at 12:03 pm

ArmyofWomen: Calling ALL women in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with breast cancer! Your Saliva could hold the answers we need: http://t.co/rOU2gP6pzX
Posted: May 11, 2013 at 9:25 am

ArmyofWomen: Volunteers are LOVE in action! Show your love on May 19th by joining us in Pacific Palisades, CA for Walk with Love. http://t.co/ygxRJmLlMh
Posted: May 10, 2013 at 6:50 pm

The Latest AOW News

• Posted on: June 10, 2010
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• Posted on: June 4, 2010
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• Posted on: June 3, 2010
  "Breast Cancer Expert's Tips for Healthy Living" featured on www.cafemom.com
• Posted on: November 16, 2009
  "Recruiting an Army of Women to Fight Breast Cancer" featured in the LA Times
• Posted on: October 5, 2009
  "Million in the Mirror" For Breast Cancer Research Wins the Love/Avon Army of Women PSA Contest
• Posted On: October 1, 2009
  An Army of Healthy Women and Survivors Unite to Find the Cause of Breast Cancer
• Posted On: September 29, 2009
  AOW featured in Glamour Magazine