Additional Resources
Research Studies
Study Examines Genetic Risk Factors in Young Women
By Anna Shaffer, LBBC Staff
Researchers hope to identify genetic factors that contribute to the onset and progression of breast cancer in young women
Trial Starts: 3/1/2005
Trial Ends: 1/1/2010
Sponsored By: Washington University School of Medicine; Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation
Read more about this study on genetic risk factors in young women.
If you have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at 40 years of age or younger, you may be eligible to participate in an observational study to identify genetic factors that contribute to breast cancer in young women.
Background of the Study
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in young women ages 15–54. Young women’s cancers are generally more aggressive and result in lower survival rates.
Breast cancer also has several distinguishing genetic characteristics in young women compared to older women. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine hope that identification of these characteristics could lead to improved diagnosis, treatment and prevention of breast cancer among young women.
Who Can Participate?
The researchers, led by Jennifer L. Ivanovich, MS, and Paul Goodfellow, PhD, seek 5,000 participants from around the country. You may be eligible to participate in this study if you are female and have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (breast cancer that has started to break through normal breast tissue and invade surrounding areas) at age 40 or younger.
Your age at diagnosis, not your current age, will be used to determine your eligibility. You may participate whether or not you have undergone genetic testing, regardless of test results.
If you are selected for this study, your parents will be invited to participate as controls, regardless of their history of cancer. However, you may still participate if your parents cannot.
You may not participate if you have been diagnosed with non-invasive breast cancer (breast cancer that is confined to the ducts or lobules and has not spread to the surrounding tissues in the breast or other parts of the body).
What Will I Need to Do as a Participant?
Women who participate will be asked to:
- Sign a consent form
- Submit a blood sample
- Release any cancer-related records
- Provide information about family history
Parents who participate will be asked to:
- Sign a consent form
- Submit a blood sample
- Release any cancer-related records
All study-related materials can be mailed to you or your parents. There is no expense to study participants, and all information gathered during this study will be kept confidential.
For more information, contact: Jennifer Ivanovich, 314.454.5076 or jen@ccadmin.wustl.edu
