Union sisters join study to fight breast cancer

Most of us know someone who has been impacted by breast cancer. For me, it's my mom, Judy, who currently is undergoing chemotherapy, her youngest sister, Joyce, a five-year survivor, and my good friend Kim, also a five-year survivor.

I'm encouraged today to learn that my union sisters are taking action. Download and share the flyer (PDF).

The Coalition of Labor Union Women recently teamed up with the Sister Study, sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. It is the nation’s largest research effort to find the causes of breast cancer. The study’s objective: to recruit 50,000 women between the ages of 35 and 74 with a sister (living or deceased) who has had breast cancer. The women who join the Sister Study must never have been diagnosed with breast cancer themselves.

Breast cancer is not discriminating. It attacks women from all walks of life, no matter her occupation, age, background or ethnic group. But through efforts like the "Sister Study" there's hope for women like you, me, my big sister, Annie -- and ALL of our union sisters.

For many, participation is a way to honor their sisters. “My sister, Susan, died from breast cancer just 16 days before her 40th birthday,” says CLUW Pennsylvania State Vice Pres. Barbara Barnes, a member of the plumbers and sprinkler fitters’ union. The loss of her little sister devastated Barbara, who joined the study in Susan’s memory and has poured time and energy into enrolling other women.

As of yesterday, April 1, 2008, the response has been so great that the study is close to reaching it's goal of 50,000 women. The Sister Study is no longer enrolling Caucasian women between the age of 35 to 64 with more than a high school degree. However, other groups are still needed:

• African Americans, Latinas, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans between ages 35-74.
  
• Caucasian women between the ages of 65-74 or with a high school degree or less.