We are currently looking for breastmilk donations for two different studies:
African American mothers study: Participants must be African American and live withinn a 50 mile radius of Amherst, Massachusetts.
Breast Biopsy study: Participants must either have had a biopsy while breastfeeding or be expecting to have a biopsy while nursing. We are able to collect samples from anywhere in the U.S. for this study.
Colostrum study: Participants must be having a home birth, reside within a 50 mile radius of Amherst, Massachusetts, and be willing to donate a sample of colostrum and a sample of breastmilk at 1 month postpartum.
How to participate: Contact us through the information below. If you qualify to participate in the study you will be asked to complete a consent form and a questionnaire, and to donate a breastmilk sample(s). If you are participating in the biopsy study and donating a sample from outside of our area, your sample will be sent by overnight mail at no expense to you.
How your privacy is protected: Every effort will be made to protect your privacy. Your name will not be used in any of the research reports or publications prepared with results obtained from this study. All information obtained in this study that identifies who you are will be recorded with a code number, and all studies are approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Massachusetts.
Benefits of this research: Currently there is no good way to assess a woman's risk of getting breast cancer. For example, although family history is an important risk factor for developing breast cancer, most women who develop cancer have no family history, and most women with a family history do not develop breast cancer.
Our hope is that by examining molecular changes in cells found in breastmilk associated with various breast problems, we will be able to develop a specific, individualized tool for assessing an individual woman's risk of contracting this disease.
Knowledge of the molecular changes in the breast cells that occur may be helpful in developing preventative and theraputic strategies for all women.
Contact information for the African American Mothers study: For more information about this study, and to participate, call Eva at (413) 545-0813, or email.
Contact information for the Breast Biopsy study: For more information about this study, and to participate, contact Dr. Sarah Lenington, Recruitment Coordinator, at (413) 545-1037, or by email.
Contact information for the Colostrum study: For more information about this study, and to participate, contact Tanya Lieberman at (413) 570-0587, or by email.
Download documents for the African American Mothers study:
Download documents for the Breast Biopsy study:
