Recently, investigators at the Women's College Research Institute reported that women with a strong family history* of breast cancer, but no BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, are two to four times more likely to develop breast cancer than women without a family history. Despite this elevated risk, no clinical guidelines have been developed for the care of these women. The purpose of this study is to evaluate factors which may influence their risk.

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Background:
Approximately 15 per cent of women with a diagnosis of breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer. Within this 15 per cent, approximately one out of four carry a mutation in one of the two known breast cancer genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. This means that the majority of women that qualify for genetic testing receive uninformative results, despite their elevated significant family history of breast cancer. There is currently little information available to inform these women and their physicians about screening and prevention practices. Our goal is to better understand the influence of family history on the risk of developing breast cancer.

Why is This Research Being Done?
We hope to better understand the interaction between various factors that may be associated with the risk of developing breast cancer in women with a strong family history but no BRCA mutation. The identification of risk factors that may influence breast cancer may lead to the development of prevention, counseling and treatment strategies specifically for this population of high-risk women. The more women who enroll in this study, the more accurate the results will be. These results translate into the ability to make better decisions about your health.

What Does Participation Entail?
Participation entails completing a consent form, medical release form, and a research questionnaire that asks about diet, lifestyle and other health-related factors. A similar, but shorter, questionnaire will be completed every two years, over a 10 year period. We estimate that the questionnaire should take about 30 minutes to complete. An appointment at the Familial Breast Cancer Research Unit is also required for the collection of a blood, urine and toenail samples. The visit is estimated to take about 15 minutes.

You can help us find some answers that will guide your family and others.

It is our hope that the information gained from this study will improve breast cancer prevention strategies and care received by you and women in your situation in the future.