Cord Blood to Be Used in Breast Cancer Study

The Cord Blood Registry, in collaboration with the Cord Blood Donor Foundation, is participating in a Breast Cancer Study at Stanford University School of Medicine. The study, funded by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, will examine the potential links of the prenatal environment to the risk of breast cancer in women. Prenatal Cord Blood Registry clients who know they are expecting baby girls will be offered the opportunity to donate plasma for the study.

The Cord Blood Registry is the nation’s largest family umbilical cord blood bank. Umbilical cord blood stem cells can be easily collected and banked for future use as a type of “biological insurance.” Over 12,000 families have chosen to bank stem cells with the registry.

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“We are excited about this opportunity of taking advantage of the unique resources at Cord Blood Registry and Cord Blood Donor Foundation,” said Atsuko Shibata, MD, PhD, assistant professor of health research and policy at Stanford. “The major goal of this study is to compare estrogen levels in cord blood among female babies of the four racial/ethnic groups whose breast cancer risk varies significantly. The study relates to the hypothesis that the formation of breast cancer could start very early in a woman’s life. This is an important research question, and yet difficult to study.”

Dr. Shibata, who is the principal investigator, of the study will be testing samples from baby girls that are of African-American, Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic descent.

“We look forward to collaborating with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Cord Blood Registry on such an important study. Cord blood is not only an invaluable resource in the treatment of diseases, but equally important in the area of research,” said Gloria J. Ochoa, president, Cord Blood Donor Foundation.