Breast cancer crisis over lack of volunteers

Published on Monday 13 October 2008 20:18

Lyndsay Moss reveals that Scots women are failing to support vital medical research

A MAJOR medical trial that could lead to the prevention of thousands of cases of breast cancer every year has been jeopardised by a shortage of Scottish women volunteers.

The worldwide study – IBIS II – is investigating whether a drug called anastrozole could be used to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk of the disease.

But despite a campaign to recruit women to take part in the trial, after four years just 68 volunteers in Scotland have come forward – well below the 200 or more researchers hoped to attract.

As Breast Cancer Awareness month continues throughout October, the researchers are now appealing for more women who would be suitable for the trial to come forward.

Professor Alastair Thompson, principal investigator for IBIS II in Scotland, said the study was one of the most important ever carried out.

But he said they had been disappointed at the low number of women coming forward to take part north of the border.

Researchers carrying out the study hope to recruit 10,000 women around the world, and in the UK more than 1,700 have signed up. Of this figure, fewer than 4 per cent are from Scotland.

Prof Thompson said: “Normally Scotland reaches well above 10 per cent to match the UK population when recruiting for medical trials, particularly breast cancer trials.

“But that has not been happening with this trial – probably the most important breast cancer prevention study in the world.

“We really need to get the message out that people are wanted and needed for this trial, both to the public and the medical profession.”

To take part in the trial, women must be past the menopause and aged between 40 and 70. They must also be at high risk of breast cancer, either because they have a family history of the disease or have had non-cancerous lumps or abnormal mammograms in the past.

Once recruited, women will have to take one tablet every day for five years. The tablet could be anastrozole or a placebo.

Anastrozole has been widely used to treat breast cancer for many years, but scientists want to establish if it could also prevent the disease.

Volunteers would have to travel to Edinburgh or Dundee at the start of the study, and around once a year for the following five years.

Prof Thompson said: “It is a case of getting the message to the right people.”

He said the study, if successful, had the potential to prevent thousands of cases of breast cancer every year in the future.

“If we could get 200 people in Scotland into the study before the end of the year that would be fabulous,” he said.

“This study has an amazing potential in tackling this disease and preventing many of the 44,000 cases of breast cancer in the UK each year.”

Kate Law, head of clinical trials at Cancer Research UK, which is funding the study, said: “Clinical trials like IBIS II are vital in cancer research.

“All new drugs, whether for prevention or treatment, are thoroughly tested in the lab first but we then need to find out how well they work in patients.

“Without clinical trials, we wouldn’t know which treatments are best for cancer patients.”

&#149 More information is available at www.ibis-trials.org. Or call 020 7014 0251 to request an IBIS-II leaflet.

‘Join the trial – and help protect next generation’

ELIZABETH Yule wants to encourage as many women as possible to take part in the IBIS-II trial. As a young woman, she had small lumps in her breasts, caused by swollen milk ducts, which she had removed after having her two daughters at age 28.

Last year she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ – a condition that can increase the risk of breast cancer.

She had surgery to remove the lump, followed by radiotherapy. Her doctor then asked if she would take part in the study.

“I was very keen to take part because it is this kind of trial that will help my daughters and other people in the future,” she said. “It is also really good because you are so closely monitored. I have regular health check-ups so they are going to spot anything that might be wrong with you.”

Mrs Yule, 65, who lives in Dunning, Perthshire, with husband Allan, has a family history of breast cancer.

“My mother’s cousin had breast cancer and died and her daughter had a full mastectomy at the age of 28 so she would not get cancer.

“Hopefully, this kind of trial will mean women don’t have to go through that.”

Like other women in the trial, she does not know if she is taking anastrozole or the placebo. But this does not bother her and she has felt well since starting the study 18 months ago.

“I had some sweats but I had those before so I am not sure if that is linked to the tablets or not. But I have been very well.”

Mrs Yule, who works as a mediator, says some women may be put off taking part in the trial because they are worried about feeling ill for five years.

“But that is not the case. Any woman thinking about taking part, but not sure, should talk about what it involves with someone who has taken part in a trial. People have to take part to get results.”