1.  You can participate if :  You have cancer, including breast, ovarian, and other cancers, or  Your family members have cancer including breast, ovarian, and other cancers  To participate:  You will need to fill out a short questionnaire about yourself and your family health history which may take about 5 minutes of your time,  As well as give us some of your blood or saliva (all laboratory tests are free)  Benefits to you:  The opportunity to learn more about cancer and how to take care of it.  The satisfaction of helping others by contributing to medical knowledge, or helping to identify possible new treatments.  You will receive $25 for your participation.  You are in complete control! The decision to participate is yours — and yours alone. You will never be pressured to take part in any study.  At the Howard University Cancer Center, we are trying to find out why African American women have such high rates of breast cancer.  We are also trying to find out why young African American women get the more aggressive forms of breast cancer.  Our goal is to improve the treatment of breast cancer in African Americans, increase the survival of breast cancer patients and determine how to best fight the aggressive types of breast cancer affecting African Americans.  To reach our goal, we need women like you!  Your participation in our cancer genetic studies will enable us to identify the important factors that place African American women at increased risk for more aggressive breast cancer.  Breast cancer is the most common cancer in African American women.  Young African American women (under age 45) have higher rates of breast cancer than White women.  African American women also have the highest breast cancer death rates.  Factors that contribute to higher death rates:  Little access to mammography  Little access to treatment  How the tumor behaves  At this time, there is no sure way to avoid getting breast cancer.  This is why regular mammograms and breast self exams are so important.  Other ways to avoid getting breast cancer is to avoid too much weight gain and obesity, to exercise regularly, and to either stop drinking alcohol or not drink too much alcohol. Howard University Breast Cancer Research Study Breast Cancer Statistics Want to Participate?

2. For more information about the Howard University Breast Cancer Study, please contact Dr. Lulu Ricks at 202-806-9438 or lricks-santi@howard.edu In African American Women http://cancer.howard.edu/  Breast Cancer Screening- Mammoday  First Saturday of each month;  For uninsured and underinsured;  For more information, call 202-437-0216  Breast and Cervical Screening-Project Wish  Cervical screenings are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays;  For more information, call 202-865-4555  Prostate Cancer Screening  Screenings are conducted at Howard University and at different community sites throughout the year;  For more information, call 202-806-5539  Colorectal Cancer Screening-Screen for Life  Free colorectal cancer screening program for DC residents who meet program guidelines;  For more information, call (202) 865-4611 Screening and Prevention Services at the Howard University Cancer Center APPROVED Howard University May 11 2011 IRB Expiration Date May 10 2012