How hormones affect breast cancer risk
The Spectrum Study
This project will measure many types of steroid hormones in people aged 25–50 to learn whether different hormone exposures change future breast cancer risk.
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-11067773 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited to join if you are 25–50 years old and have different hormone histories; the team plans to enroll about 5,000 people. They will collect detailed medication and exposure histories and use a validated lab panel to measure 27 steroid metabolites in a subset of roughly 1,200 participants. About 600 participants will be followed over time to track how hormone patterns change with age and organ status, and the team will use expert feedback to consider how findings could inform screening. Your samples and information could help link external and internal hormone exposures to patterns that may predict breast cancer risk in both women and men.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People aged 25–50, female or male, with varied hormone exposures (for example hormonal medications, contraceptives, gender-affirming hormones, or natural hormonal variation) are the best fit.
Not a fit: People outside the 25–50 age range, those with an active breast cancer diagnosis, or those unwilling to provide blood samples and medication/exposure history are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more personalized breast cancer screening based on a person’s hormone exposure and metabolite patterns.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked estrogens and progesterone to breast cancer risk, but using a comprehensive 27-metabolite steroid panel and translating that into screening recommendations is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Houghton, Lauren C — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Houghton, Lauren C
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.