My Breakthrough
The POSH study
What is the POSH Study?
POSH stands for ‘Prospective study of Outcomes in Sporadic versus Hereditary Breast Cancer”. The POSH study will compare the effects of treatment in younger women with inherited breast cancer with women whose breast cancer is not inherited.
What is the aim of the study?
The POSH study will compare two groups of younger women being treated for breast cancer:
- One group of women are known to carry an inherited faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.
- One group of women do not have a known inherited faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.
The study aims to compare the effects of treatment in the two groups. The study results could help doctors in the future to decide whether the treatment given to these two groups of women should be different.
Who can participate?
The study needs women who:
- Have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and are aged 40 years or younger, or
- Have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, carry a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, and are aged 50 years or younger.
Invasive breast cancer is cancer that has spread out of the breast ducts or lobules to surrounding tissue or to other parts of the body. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is non-invasive breast cancer.
How will the study work?
The study does not involve giving treatment and will not affect the treatment you are receiving for your breast cancer. If you decide to take part in this study, you will be asked to fill a questionnaire which asks you about your family history and other simple questions.
All information that is collected about you during the course of this research will be kept strictly confidential and will not be given to anyone else.
With your consent, researchers will ask your consultant about your treatment and for small samples of cancerous tissue removed during your cancer surgery. Researchers will contact your consultant or GP from time to time to ask how you are getting on.
With your consent, you will be asked to provide a blood sample to be tested for breast cancer genes. This will be analysed towards the end of the study and is done for the purposes of the study. This is called a genetic analysis as it is done for research purposes. It is not the same as genetic testing and is not done according to the standards of genetic testing carried out through genetics clinics. You will not be told the results of this blood test.
If I am interested in taking part who should I contact?
If you are interested or would like more information, please contact:
Sue Gerty
Study Co-ordinator
Tel:023 8079 5171
Email: smg@soton.ac.uk
