Karmanos Cancer Institute is on a mission to fight breast cancer by collecting healthy breast tissue. Women of all ethnicities are encouraged to donate, and it's important that you pre-register now for the event which takes place Sept. 24th. Click the video player to see how healthy samples of breast tissue can be used to save lives, and see below to find out how you can register.
Karmanos says the goal of the Sept. 24 collection event is to obtain healthy breast tissue samples from 200 women of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The samples will help researchers better understand the differences between healthy breast tissue in women from various cultures.
The samples will also help show how healthy breast tissue changes at different stages of a woman’s life, and will allow researchers to compare healthy breast tissue to cancerous tissue.
Karmanos says if experts can understand changes in breast tissue, it may help determine possible causes of breast cancer, help find ways to prevent the disease, and help advance new cancer treatments.
Pre-Registration and What to Expect during the Donation Process
Pre-registration appointment scheduling must be done in advance of the Sept. 24 collection. (Participants are recommended to register at least one week prior to the event.)
To register for the Komen Tissue Bank healthy breast tissue collection event hosted by Karmanos Cancer Institute, visit:http://komentissuebank.iu.edu/tissue-donors/register-to-donate/ or call 866-763-0047.
Women of all ethnicities are encouraged to donate a sample of their healthy breast tissue. To participate, women must:
- Be age 18 or older
- Have the ability to understand and be willing to sign an informed consent
- Be willing to give one hour of their time to complete a questionnaire and a breast biopsy
- Have no allergies to local anesthetics (numbing medicine)
- Not be receiving a therapeutic blood thinner (excluding aspirin)
- Not have breast implants
The entire tissue collection process usually takes 60 - 90 minutes Participation consists of completing an informed consent document and an online questionnaire, having height and weight measurements taken, giving a blood sample, having a breast tissue sample collected, and providing annual medical follow-up information.
