Women from Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton needed by researchers

IBIS II Study

A research team have praised women from across Greater Manchester who have joined an international study aiming to help prevent breast cancer - and say that they now have places for more volunteers.

Women from Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton as well as Oldham, Bury and North Manchester are able to apply for places on the study through the trials team at The Royal Oldham Hospital.

The news comes as the team co-ordinating the IBIS II study internationally used International Women's Day (8 March) to highlight the research programme. It is investigating the potential of a daily tablet to prevent breast cancer in women who are at an increased risk of developing the disease.

To be eligible for IBIS-II, women must be aged between 40-70 years, have been through the menopause, must not be taking Hormone Replacement Therapy, and must have either a family history of breast cancer and or other risk factors.

Pennine Acute Trust, which runs the hospitals in the north east of Greater Manchester, successfully bid to take part in the study, and, since the call went out for volunteers last July the research team have seen numbers taking part grow.

Now a total of 28 women from the area of the Trust, which covers North Manchester, Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale, Bury and Oldham, have been accepted as part of the international study, involving patients from 25 countries.

Claire Hurn, Oncology Research Nurse, who is co-ordinating the study, said: "We're very pleased with the interest which there has been in the research programme locally - and we can accept more applications to join it.

"This study aims to evaluate if a drug which forms part of the established breast cancer treatment can also help prevent the development of the disease. Results from previous clinical trials suggest that the drug, called anastrozole, may have the potential to prevent up to 80% of hormone-sensitive breast tumours.

"The study is recruiting from 25 countries, and will involve a total of 6,000 women. There are places available for women from the whole area covered by the Trust. If anyone wants to find out more about it then they should contact me directly or visit the study website."

Claire or trial administrator Edith Curran can be contacted directly on 0161 627 8165 - information on the study is also available via the website:

www.ibis-trials.org