From: Subject: Politics - Goal: Expand teacher cancer study - sacbee.com Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:19:14 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0002_01C83E32.6527E760" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3198 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0002_01C83E32.6527E760 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: file://C:\Documents and Settings\sespinos\Desktop\Politics - Goal Expand teacher cancer study - sacbee_com.htm =EF=BB=BF Politics - Goal: Expand teacher cancer = study - sacbee.com
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Goal: Expand teacher cancer study

By Gilbert Chan - gchan@sacbee.com=20

Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, December 13, 2007
Story appeared = in MAIN=20 NEWS section, Page A3

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Teacher Andrea Mello fields a question from senior Jimmy Parker, 17, = in=20 government class at Del Campo High School. Mello is one of 133,000 = teachers=20 included so far in a study of genetic markers for cancer. She said she's = willing=20 to do "anything to try to find a cure. There are too many women who come = up with=20 the disease." Florence Low / flow@sacbee.com

 

Pat Geyer figured rolling up her sleeve and giving a little blood was = the=20 least she could do for her fellow female teachers.

The blood sample she gave in September is part of ongoing research = into=20 cancer causes among California women, using teachers as a study = population.

"They're looking for genetic markers. Hopefully, the results of the = study=20 will provide insights into the causes of breast cancer," said Geyer, a = retired=20 high school history and economics teacher.

The 71-year-old Sacramentan isn't alone.

For the past dozen years, thousands of female public school teachers = and=20 administrators like Geyer have helped advance statewide research into = breast=20 cancer and other women's health issues. Now researchers with the = California=20 Teachers Study are looking to expand the participant pool to include = younger=20 teachers.

In collaboration with the California State Teachers' Retirement = System,=20 researchers have been able to gather data from more than 133,000 = teachers in=20 grades kindergarten through community college =E2=80=93 both retirees = and those=20 currently in the classroom =E2=80=93 who volunteered to take part in a = series of cancer=20 research questionnaires.

"It's one of the largest research studies ever done in the U.S. There = are so=20 many researchers around the country that have come to us (about it)," = said=20 Dennis Deapen, a USC Department of Preventive Medicine professor and one = of 16=20 study investigators.

Last week, Deapen detailed to CalSTRS trustees a proposal to expand = the=20 participant pool to include younger educators, those who started their = teaching=20 careers after 1995. Currently, the majority of volunteers are in their = late 50s=20 and early 60s. By surveying younger teachers, researchers hope to = collect=20 comparative information before the women reach menopause age.

Launched in 1995, the California Teachers Study is considered by some = researchers to be the "gold standard" because of the project's longevity = and its=20 large number of participants. The project is coordinated by a consortium = of=20 researchers from the state Department of Health Services, the = Fremont-based=20 Northern California Cancer Center, UC Irvine and the University of = Southern=20 California.

The research consortium plans to apply for $10 million in federal = funding to=20 extend the project through 2014. It also wants an estimated $1 million = in=20 additional funds to broaden the participant pool to younger = teachers.

"We're looking to the future to establish a younger cohort," said = Rich=20 Pinder, the study's program manager.

Colleen Sweeney, co-director of breast cancer research at the UC = Davis Cancer=20 Center, said the teachers' study has gathered invaluable information for = researchers.

"It's an incredible resource. This study really covers such a broad = range of=20 risk factors," Sweeney said. "We're just beginning to understand the = things that=20 are influencing breast cancer. If they shut down that study, we're going = to=20 (lose) access."

Researchers consider teachers an ideal study group because they are = easy to=20 track through their retirement system, have a similar amount of = education and=20 are familiar with survey techniques.

"Teachers are just naturally investigative. We want to do what we can = to=20 enhance our learning environment," said Andrea Mello, 58, a breast = cancer=20 survivor and American government teacher at Del Campo High School in = Fair=20 Oaks.

She volunteered for the study a year after being diagnosed. Mello is = willing=20 to do "anything to try to find a cure. There are too many women who come = up with=20 the disease."

Geyer, who's never been diagnosed with cancer, agrees. "The more = information=20 we have, the better off we will be."

This September, Geyer had 30 milliliters =E2=80=93 or roughly three = teaspoons =E2=80=93 of=20 blood drawn for an ancillary study of roughly 5,000 teachers to = determine if=20 there are any genetic differences between those who've had breast cancer = and=20 those who have not.

Previous studies have indicated that California's female teachers are = more=20 prone to some cancers than the rest of the state's female = population.

For example, teachers have a 51 percent higher rate of breast cancer = compared=20 with other women of similar age and race. Researchers can't entirely = explain the=20 reason, but suggest it could be because teachers often wait to have = children=20 until they are older.

Over the years, California's women teachers have contributed = information used=20 in two dozen research publications about cancer and the disease's = relationship=20 with exercise, wine and alcohol consumption, exposure to tobacco smoke, = vitamin=20 supplements and diet.

Researchers also have looked into possible connections between cancer = and a=20 teacher's place of residence, including communities near farm fields = that are=20 exposed to agricultural pesticides.

"It has been a great collaboration for CalSTRS to put researchers in = touch=20 (with members)," said Dana Dillon, CalSTRS board chairwoman. "The = information=20 they have been able to get has continued to be important to cancer=20 research."

About the writer:

  • Call The Bee's Gilbert Chan, (916) = 321-1045.

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