Fil-Am women are asked to join study on why breast cancer is on the rise among them

FREMONT, California — Breast cancer rates are on the rise among Filipina women, as much as 6.5 percent over a five-year period, so researchers are asking the Filipino community for help in identifying possible cause for this upward trend.

Researchers at the Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC) in Fremont are collaborating with the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum to conduct wide outreach for research participants. CPIC is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to preventing cancer and to reducing its burden where it cannot yet be prevented.

“We are actively recruiting women of Filipina descent to participate in a research study about how lifestyle, occupation, diet, exercise and family life may influence the risk of breast cancer,” said Scarlett Lin Gomez, Ph.D., who is leading the study at CPIC.

Participants must be between the ages of 50 and 69, and must never have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The study involves a telephone survey, which takes about an hour, and completion of a mailed questionnaire, which takes about 30 minutes.

All information provided by participants will be kept confidential. Study participants will receive a check for $45 upon completion of both questionnaires.

“By joining in the study, Filipina women can help us understand what’s causing this disturbing increase in breast cancer in their community,” Gomez said. She encouraged those who meet the study criteria to get in touch.

For more information and to inquire about participating, please visit the study website at www.asianCHI.org, email [email protected], or call Kristine Winters (510) 608-5047 or (866) 266-1082 (toll free). Interested individuals can also sign up online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AsianCHIstudy. The Asian Community Health Initiative — also known as the Asian CHI Study– is funded by the California Breast Cancer Research Program www.cbcrp.org.