CAT ANDREWS
Leading the Effort to
Recruit Sisters Aged 55-74
I lost my mother to breast cancer in 1983. In 1992 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and felt powerless and hopeless. My daughter had just turned three. Who would take care of her?
After surgery, many weeks of chemotherapy and radiation, I gradually began to get energy back and told myself, “I’m going to be the one to raise my daughter and do everything I can to stop this disease so she will never be told that she has breast cancer!” I became a breast cancer advocate, joining with other survivors to find out about this disease and how to make things better for our daughters and granddaughters.
When I heard about the Sister Study, I knew this was the one I had waited for! My experience as a health educator, advocate, survivor and accountant could be used for a cause I so strongly believed in, so I joined the Sister Study Staff in January 2003.
I am now leading the effort to recruit senior women. The Sister Study needs women ages 55-74. Unfortunately, the chance of developing breast cancer increases steeply with age and the risk is greatest for women over the age of 65. Senior women have a longer history of living and working in a variety of surroundings and have a longer life experience than the younger women in the study. Senior women have powerful information to share with the study.
As we grow older, we should not think that our work is done or near completion. We have much experience and wisdom to share that can make our world a better place. One way to make a difference is to enroll in the Sister Study or volunteer and help “spread the word” to others who may be eligible. What better legacy can you leave to future generations than to help find the causes of breast cancer?