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Current Projects
Project Title Sleep, Circadian Hormonal Dysregulation and Breast Cancer Survival
Researcher David Spiegel, MD, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
Study Summary Too much stress and not enough sleep are two things that many women know all too well. Could they be linked to breast cancer? That is what a group of researchers at Stanford University want to find out. They are studying the effect that stress and sleep-related hormones may have on the immune system and cancer progression.
Project Title The BEAM Study
Researcher Seema Khan, Northwestern University, Chicago, MD
Study Summary Today, doctors rely on a woman’s personal and family medical history to help them figure out if she is at higher than average risk of developing breast cancer. But this method is far from perfect. Many women who develop breast cancer don’t have any of the known risk factors. And many women who have all of the known risk factors never get the disease. Clearly, we need a better way to tell who is at risk. And that’s what the BEAM (Breast Estrogen and Methylation) study is all about: Finding a better way to predict a woman’s breast cancer risk. Three hundred women are needed for this study.
Project Title DCIS and BRCA1 and BRCA2 Study
Researcher Elizabeth Claus, MD, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
Study Summary The goal of this study is to learn more about the genetic material, called DNA, of women who have had DCIS and have the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation. This DNA can be obtained through a saliva sample. Studying DNA might help us to better understand the prognosis and outcome for this group of women and to find out whether there is a relationship between DCIS, BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Project Title Discovery of Early Markers of Breast Cancer
Researcher Isabelle Bedrosian, M.D.
Study Summary The research team is analyzing normal breast tissue from benign biopsies for evidence of DNA damage in breast cells and then investigating whether the presence of this DNA damage can predict who will develop breast cancer later in life. This study will happen in two phases. Currently, the researchers are looking for women who had a normal breast biopsy and went on to develop breast cancer. In a few months, they will be enrolling women who had a normal breast biopsy but did NOT go on to develop breast cancer. By recruiting both women who did develop breast cancer and women who did not, the research team 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.
Project Title The Milk Study: Using Breast Milk to Screen for Breast Cancer and Assess Breast-Cancer Risk
Researcher Kathleen Arcaro, Ph.D. at the Universtiy of Massachusetts, Amherst
Study Summary The purpose of this study is to determine if breast cancer and breast cancer risk can be accurately assessed from a breast milk sample. Currently, there is no accurate way to give women information about their personal risk of developing breast cancer. We will use the cells naturally present in breast milk to examine changes in DNA that occur in association with benign and cancerous breast lesions. Learning about the genetic changes associated with both breast cancer and non-cancerous breast lesions will help us develop a way to provide women with information about their breast cancer risk. Using breast milk to screen for breast cancer will reduce unnecessary biopsies among nursing women.
Project Title Pathways to Recovery After Breast Cancer
Researcher Annette Stanton, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Study Summary In an effort to find the best way to empower women with the information they need as they begin to live their lives after breast cancer, researchers across the nation and the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service have developed a study that is investigating the best way to provide post-treatment education materials via the Internet or CD-Rom, to breast cancer survivors.
Project Title Genomic Markers of Breast Cancer Prevention Induced by hCG in Women at High Risk
Researcher Irma Russo, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Study Summary Because pregnancy and breastfeeding appear to reduce breast cancer risk in women, including those with a BRCA1 or 2 mutation, researchers are interested in seeing if giving hormones that mimic pregnancy can change these high risk women’s breast tissue in ways that appear to reduce their risk. The researchers are looking for 18 women for this study.
Project Title The Impact of Colonic Microbiota on Breast Cancer
Researcher Ece Mutlu, MD, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
Study Summary The purpose of this study is to find out what type of bacteria can be found in the intestines and to look at the way the bacteria metabolize estrogen and other female hormones. The bacteria of women who have never had breast cancer will be compared to the bacteria of women who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Thirty (30) women who have never had breast cancer are needed for this study.
Project Title Protocol for Narrowing the Gap in Adjuvant Therapy
Researcher Vanessa Sheppard, PhD, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Study Summary African American women are more likely to die of breast cancer than Caucasian women, even though fewer African American women are getting breast cancer each year and screening use has improved. This difference has gotten worse over the past 20 years. The Gap Study was designed to gather the information needed to better understand the differences in breast cancer treatment experiences between Black/African American Women and White/European American Women. The researchers want to know more about how to improve the survival rates of women with breast cancer.
Project Title Yoga for Breast Cancer Survivors: Effects on Fatigue, Immune Function, and Mood
Researcher Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Study Summary Breast cancer survivors can have a lot of post-treatment problems, such as fatigue, depression, and a decrease in physical function. It is possible that physical activities, like yoga, could help ease these symptoms. This is a study about how yoga affects fatigue, immune function, and mood of women treated for breast cancer.
Project Title Omega-3 Fatty Acid Study and the Glucosamine and Chondroitin Study
Researcher Dawn Hershman, MD
Study Summary The research team is conducting two studies. One is investigating the effectiveness of Omega-3 fatty acid. The other is investigating the effectiveness of Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Both studies are assessing whether a dietary supplement can reduce the joint pain and stiffness associated with the aromatase inhibitors used to treat breast cancer.
Project Title Combination of Low-Dose Anti-Estrogens with Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Prevention of Hormone-Independent Breast Cancer
Researcher Andrea Manni, MD, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Study Summary The purpose of this study is to find out if combining raloxifene with a dietary supplement called omega-3 fatty acid has an effect on breast density or urine and blood chemicals associated with breast cancer development.
Project Title Early Detection of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Using Exhaled Breath Markers
Researcher Michael McCulloch, LAc MPH PhD
Study Summary The research team is using specially trained dogs and a chemical test to analyze breath samples for substances called biomarkers that may be useful in diagnosing ovarian cancer. This type of research has been done before with breast and lung cancer.
Project Title Healing Choices for Women With Breast Cancer Study
Researcher Peter Raich, MD, University of Colorado, Denver
Study Summary Researchers throughout the country are working with the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service to determine the best way to get information to women who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The information is about treatment options and it can help women in making their decisions. The researchers want to find out the best way to deliver the information: by mail in the form of print materials, by the internet, or by CD-Rom. The study is called Healing Choices for Women with Breast Cancer.
Project Title Breathe for Hot Flashes
Researcher Janet Carpenter, PhD, RN, FAAN, Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis
Study Summary There is not a lot known about how women can manage hot flashes without hormones. Some breathing methods have helped hot flashes, but more research is needed to see if these breathing methods can be put into widespread use.
Project Title Identification of Novel Genetic Risk Factors that Contribute to the Risk for Breast Cancer
Researcher Paul Goodfellow, PhD
Study Summary 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.
Project Title Tai Chi Effects on Chronic Insomnia in Breast Cancer Survivors: Immune Mechanisms
Researcher Michael Irwin, MD, University of California, Los Angeles
Study Summary The purpose of this study is to determine whether Tai Chi or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can change sleep patterns and reduce insomnia. The study will also investigate whether Tai Chi or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy changes levels of the immune cell products that are known to alter sleep. It will also assess individual genetic differences in immune cell products and their possible relationship to insomnia.
Project Title Urine and Tumor Markers Study
Researcher Edgardo Rivera, MD
Study Summary The purpose of this study is to evaluate urinary markers and tumor markers in women with breast cancer to find out if these markers can be used to evaluate some potential therapies against breast cancer. It is also possible that these markers could help determine who would benefit from these potential new therapies.
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