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Breast Cancer Research at Women's College Research InstituteWomen's College Research Institute (WCRI) was launched in September of 2006. Building on the legacy of the Centre for Research in Women's Health, the WCRI works with all of the researchers based at Women's College Hospital to conduct research that improves women's lives. WCRI includes an interdisciplinary faculty of research scientists and clinicians. It includes eight established research programs and also encompasses and supports a number of clinical research initiatives. The WCRI is committed to conducting and fostering women's health research, which is relevant to women's lives and to promoting its application in diverse communities. A primary research focus at the WCRI has been the occurrence, prevention and treatment of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Studies show that between five and 10 percent of breast cancers appear to be linked to mutations in certain genes (specifically the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes). If a woman has inherited a mutated gene from either parent, she is more likely to develop breast cancer. More than half of women with inherited mutations will develop breast cancer by the age of 70. The research group has conducted several studies of breast cancer in high-risk women, including the genetic susceptibility of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in Canada. Special attention has been paid to Jewish and French-Canadian women because these mutations are found frequently in these populations. Researchers at the WCRI have studied the impact of mutation detection on the physical and psychological well-being of these women and continue to monitor their health in the clinic and in research studies. The WCRI holds the largest registry of BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers in the world, with over 40 contributing centres in 14 countries. To date, clinical and risk factor information has been recorded for over 2500 North American women. This database has been used to help evaluate treatment and prevention strategies. It has also been useful to identify ways in which women who carry these genetic mutations might be able to lower their risk of developing breast cancer. Using this registry, researchers have established that the risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer is modified by:
These findings have a major impact on genetic counseling and on prevention strategies. Researchers at the WCRI have also studied the impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on women's health and well-being. The WCRI is also developing a program, which focuses on healthy women. Researchers now understand that a variation in hormone levels between women influences their risk of breast (and other cancers) throughout their lifetimes. Little is known about the sources of this variation or the factors that predict the levels of these hormones. To address this, the researchers are now collecting blood and urine specimens and lifestyle information for 500 pre-menopausal and 500 post-menopausal healthy women. This database will allow them to evaluate how genes and lifestyle factors influence the levels of hormones, which are critical in carcinogenesis or the origins of cancer. The WCRI plans to continue to develop international programs for breast cancer research which currently involve several centres around the world. So far, formal research collaborations have been developed in the Philippines, Cuba, Pakistan, Poland and Israel. These centres have been chosen because of the variations seen in breast cancer risk between these countries, different ethnic origins and the divergence of their lifestyles and diets. |
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