Stroger Hospital of Cook County Hosts Komen Cure Tissue Bank Event, September 29th

How can you help in the fight against breast cancer? You can help by donating a tissue sample during an event at the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago from 8:30AM to 2:30PM. Saturday, September 29th. Participants can use the parking garage at 1800 West Polk St., which is adjacent to the hospital, free of charge. The tissue samples will be collected for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center, which is the first and only healthy breast tissue bank in the world. To date, more than 2,800 women have contributed breast tissue samples. This is only the second time the Komen Tissue Bank has collected tissue outside of Indiana. Physicians, staff, and volunteers from the Komen Tissue Bank and Stroger Hospital of Cook County’s Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program (MB-CCOP) will collect the tissue samples for this breast cancer clinical trial. By collecting samples from women without breast cancer, researchers may be able to determine the differences between healthy and cancerous tissue, which will lead to a better understanding of the disease. “Essential to making progress in treating cancer is the need to identify differences between normal tissue and cancer tissue,” Thomas Lad, M.D., principal investigator of the MB-CCOP, said. “When breast cancer tissue is analyzed by the pathologist, tests are done to try to identify abnormal growth signals that cause the cancer cells to grow. Comparison with normal tissue growth signals helps to find out what is normal and what is not.” What to expect during the donation process During the donation process, a tissue sample is taken from one breast with a needle and local anesthesia. The amount of tissue taken is about one gram (or the size of two peas). To participate, women must: Be 18 or older. Have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign an informed consent. Be willing to give one hour of their time to complete a questionnaire and a breast biopsy. Not be allergic to local anesthetics (numbing medicine). Not be receiving a therapeutic blood thinner (this does not include aspirin). Not have breast implants or have had a breast reduction. To register, contact Liz Way at (866) 763-0047 or eswells@iupui.edu. Donors must have a confirmed appointment time. Prior to the donation, participants will complete an informed consent document and an online questionnaire, height and weight measurements will be taken, and a blood sample will be taken. The entire process usually takes 60 to 75 minutes. “The majority of women who have donated have some personal connection to breast cancer,” Anna Maria Storniolo, M.D., principle investigator of the tissue bank and a physician/researcher at the IU Simon Cancer Center, said. “They donate because their mother, neighbor, or friend had breast cancer. They feel so helpless. They’re frustrated because they can’t do enough. When the opportunity comes up to donate, they jump at the chance.” About the Stroger Hospital of Cook County’s Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program Stroger Hospital’s Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program (MB-CCOP) is part of a nationwide program to provide patients access to clinical trials in their own communities and to involve physicians practicing in those communities in an effort to ultimately reduce health disparities. Thomas Lad, M.D., is the principal investigator for MB-CCOP. About the Cook County Hospital & Health System CCHHS oversees a comprehensive, integrated system of healthcare throughout Chicago and suburban Cook County through its hospitals, outpatient and community health network clinics, public health department, correctional healthcare facility, and outpatient infectious disease center. John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, largest of the CCHHS facilities and formerly known as Cook County Hospital, has a distinguished history as site of the world’s first blood bank (1937), the nation’s first trauma unit (1966), and the first HIV/AIDS clinic in Chicago (1983). Stroger Hospital, long-accredited by the Joint Commission, is located at 1901 West Harrison St., Chicago.