Breast Cancer Registry of Greater Cincinnati Hits 6,000 Mark

The Breast Cancer Registry of Greater Cincinnati has officially hit the 6,000 (6,012) mark, continuing its mission of helping researchers understand the causes of breast cancer and identify contributing environmental and lifestyle factors that influence the quality of life for breast cancer survivors.

The registry, which was created in 2004 by UC’s Department of Environmental Health, has served as a major resource for not only local researchers but also national researchers who use the data for breast cancer study recruitment and data analysis. 

"This is such an incredible resource for scientists,” says Michele Wiener, president of the Advisory Board for the registry and a breast cancer survivor. "I’m so pleased that this wealth of information about area residents is available for all researchers to fight against breast cancer and improve our knowledge of about the disease.”

While the information included in the registry is completely confidential, it’s more than just a tissue sample. Each record contains personal and family history facts that allow the researcher to look deeper for causes of breast cancer to provide supplemental—yet critical—information that will allow them to investigate "quality of life" questions for breast cancer patients. This includes the long-term effects of drugs, potential new drugs, minimizing side effects, the effect of exercise during treatment, return-to-work and survivorship issues. The registry contains information on both men and women breast cancer survivors.

Registry access is available to researchers who are recruiting participants for studies that do not involve clinical trials. Scientists interested in using registry data and biospecimens should contact Susan Pinney, PhD, at susan.pinney@uc.edu. Wiener adds that it is important for patients to register their information. 

"The type of data collected is invaluable for scientists, and we hope to continue to grow our database substantially while forming more national and even international research partnerships.”