I'm delighted to help the Sister Study learn more about the causes of breast cancer in older women.
the road to 50,000
The Sister Study began because of tremendous public interest in the possibility that the environment contributes to breast cancer. Because of the efforts of breast cancer groups and members of the Women’s Congressional Caucus, we were challenged to develop new approaches to studying the question. The study’s Principal Investigators Dr. Dale Sandler and Dr. Clarice Weinberg, and their colleagues, originated and developed the idea and unique design for the Sister Study.
Through a five year collaborative recruitment effort that included community based efforts to spread the word about the study through local volunteers, study participants, local and national events with our partners, media campaigns and materials distribution, we surpassed the goal of recruiting more than 50,000 participants. See where our participants come from.
Our Participants
Our participants are the reason the Sister Study has been such a great success thus far! This is a very special group of motivated women, each deeply affected by breast cancer due to her sister’s diagnosis. This tremendous group of women has agreed to let us follow them over at least 10 years, and to answer additional questions every year via questionnaires and follow up interviews. We are amassing incredible amounts of data that will help researchers continue to study the complexity of breast cancer for years to come in ways not yet explored or imagined. For this and so much more we are truly grateful to the Sister Study participants.
Our Volunteers & Supporters
Just as we could not have reached Sister Study recruitment success without our participants, the same is true about our remarkable volunteers and supporting organizations. Combined, there were over 10,000 individuals and organizations who believed in the Sister Study and helped spread the word to recruit participants at local events, by word of mouth and conducting media interviews on our behalf.
In addition to volunteers and organizations, our Sister Study national partners were an excellent support to our recruitment efforts. They mobilized their resources far and wide to spread the word about this important research study. Finding the causes of breast cancer remains an important and shared goal. It is with much gratitude that we recognize their efforts!
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