UK launches 50-year breast cancer study

A 50-year study into the causes of breast cancer has been launched in Britain in the hope of finding new ways to prevent one of the major killers of women.

The charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the Institute of Cancer Research said they aimed to recruit 100,000 women age 18 or older, from all walks of life, for the largest cohort study ever mounted in breast cancer.Around 40,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in Britain alone, but the study organisers believe at least half the cases could, in principle, be prevented, if the causes of breast cancer were better understood. “The Breakthrough Generations Study aims to make this a reality by carrying out a unique, dedicated examination of the genetic, environmental, behavioural and hormonal factors thought to influence the risk of developing what is the UK’s most common cancer in women,” they said in a statement. Each woman will be asked to fill in a questionnaire about themselves and their lifestyle and give a blood sample. The study will collect further information as the years go by to compared future cancer risks to changes in lifestyle and events occurring throughout a woman’s life. The questionnaire asks about various factors associated with the risk of breast cancer, such as parity and the use of oral contraceptives.The blood sample will be analysed for hormonal, genetic and other factors that might influence the risk of breast cancer.The 17 million pound study will be run by Anthony Swerdlow, professor of Epidemiology, and Alan Ashworth, head of breast cancer research, both at the Institute of Cancer Research.”Within a few years, we can expect the first results of the study to emerge, giving us a unique insight into the causes of breast cancer and, eventually, allowing us to work out methods to prevent it occurring in the first place,” Professor Ashworth said.(Source: Reuters Health: Richard Woodman: Oncolink: September 2004.)