Helping women weigh breast cancer and heart disease risks to decide on preventive medicines
Integrating Breast Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Risk to Explore Decision-Making for Chemoprevention Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer
This project will help women at high risk for breast cancer understand both their breast cancer and heart disease risks so they can make clearer choices about preventive medicines like SERMs, aromatase inhibitors, and statins.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11134739 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You'll be part of work that looks at how women with high-risk breast lesions make decisions about preventive medicines by comparing the pathway for breast cancer drugs (SERMs and aromatase inhibitors) with the pathway for statins used to prevent heart disease. The team will talk with racially and ethnically diverse women and their clinicians, review risk information and medical records, and use interviews, surveys, and design workshops to map where decisions are made. They will use iterative, equity-focused human-centered design to create and test communication tools and decision aids. The aim is to find practical changes that make it easier for women to understand trade-offs and choose prevention options that match their values.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Women with high-risk breast lesions such as atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ who are considering or open to discussion about preventive medications and who may also have concerns about heart disease prevention.
Not a fit: This project may not directly benefit people who do not have high-risk breast lesions, are not eligible for or uninterested in preventive medications, or are not involved in clinician shared decision-making.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could increase appropriate use of effective breast cancer preventive medicines and improve shared decision-making that accounts for heart disease risk.
How similar studies have performed: Randomized trials have shown SERMs and aromatase inhibitors reduce breast cancer incidence and statins reduce major vascular events, but applying decision-making research across both breast cancer and cardiovascular prevention is a new approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kukafka, Rita — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Kukafka, Rita
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.