A study looking at factors affecting how genes behave and the causes of breast cancer

Please note this trial is no longer recruiting patients.

This study is trying to find out more about the links between diet, lifestyle and breast cancer. There are many factors that may increase the risk of getting breast cancer. In this study, the researchers hope to learn more about how risk factors such as diet and drinking alcohol affect genes.

Breast cancer starts when genes begin to behave abnormally. This can happen when the genes change in ways which are called ‘epigenetic’. In healthy cells, these changes can be caused by diet and lifestyle factors. Some researchers think that having a lot of epigenetic changes can make normal cells turn into cancer cells.

The aim of this study is to find which diet and lifestyle factors may change genes in ways that could lead to breast cancer. The researchers also want to find out if these epigenetic changes are more common in women who have breast cancer. And if they affect how women respond to breast cancer treatment.

Please note - you will not get any direct benefit from taking part in this study and it will not affect your treatment in any way. It is possible that the results will be used in the future to

Advise people on how to reduce their risk of breast cancer
Develop tests to identify people who may be at increased risk of breast cancer

Recruitment

Start 01/04/2008

End 31/12/2011

Phase

Other

Who can enter

You can enter this study if you attend the Aberdeen Breast Unit to have tests for breast cancer.

Trial design

The study will recruit 1,000 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. It will also recruit 1,000 women who have tests that show they definitely don’t have breast cancer. This is called the control group.

Women in both groups will fill in some questionnaires about their diet and other lifestyle factors such as physical activity, alcohol intake and smoking. The study team will take a blood sample and a sample of cells from the inside of your cheek. To get the cells, they will ask you to swill some salt water around your mouth and spit it out.

The researchers will also ask permission to take some details from your medical notes. This will include information about your age and whether or not you have been through the menopause. All the information collected is confidential.

Hospital visits

You will not have to make any extra visits to hospital if you take part in this study. You can fill in the questionnaires at home and post them back in a stamped, addressed envelope that the study team give you. It shouldn’t take more than an hour to fill in the questionnaires.

If you are in the control group, the study team will take the blood and cheek cell samples, and give you the questionnaires at the breast clinic. If you are in the group of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, the study team will do this a couple of weeks later when you go to hospital for further tests or to start treatment.