**PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING STUDIES ARE NO LONGER RECRUITING**
RAPPER
A coordinated multi-centre prospective study investigating biological mechanisms behind normal tissue radiosensitivity.
SIBS - Sisters in Breast Screening Study
We are trying to find out more about the causes of breast cancer so that we can find ways to prevent it. In particular we are trying to find out more about the genes that increase the risk of breast cancer; we are looking for genes that are related to the way a woman’s breasts appear on her mammograms (breast X-rays). We know it varies a lot from woman to woman and we are trying to understand it better and find out how it relates to the risk of breast cancer and other breast problems.
We are looking for two or more female blood relatives who:
- Are aged between 50 and 70 (approximately)
- Have had a mammogram (or will have within 2 years)
- Live in the UK
To be a useful phenotypic marker for this purpose, the trait must satisfy the following criteria (a) be reliably measurable on a quantitative scale (b) be strongly related to the disease of interest (c) have a strong genetic basis. In recent years two potentially useful phenotypic markers for breast cancer, mammographic density and sex steroid hormone levels have emerged. This proposal is to investigate the feasibility of a linkage mapping study based on these traits.
A blood relative can include a sister or half sister, cousin, aunt, niece, mother or daughter (the more from one family the better!).
TELOMERE
The major goal of this study was to examine the genetic basis of telomere shortening and its effect on risk of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer.