How where you live might affect breast cancer outcomes
Social genomic mechanisms linking geographic location to breast cancer survival
This project looks at whether neighborhood factors and stress-linked gene activity in blood and tumors relate to recurrence risk for people with breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176104 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of research that combines survey information about where you live and how you perceive your neighborhood with blood and tumor samples already collected in a breast cancer cohort. Researchers will measure immune-related gene activity patterns (like the CTRA response) and activity of inflammation-related transcription factors such as NF-kB, AP-1, and CREB. They will compare those molecular signatures to tumor features and to recurrence-free survival to see whether geographic and social factors map onto biological pathways linked to worse or better outcomes. The work uses existing cohort samples and clinical data linked to patient-reported neighborhood experiences.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with a history of breast cancer who have available blood and/or tumor samples and can complete surveys about where they live would be ideal candidates for this kind of research.
Not a fit: People without breast cancer or those who cannot provide samples or survey information are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal biological pathways by which neighborhood and stress influence recurrence risk and suggest targets for supportive care or personalized follow-up.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has shown links between social stress, immune-related gene expression (CTRA), and cancer-relevant inflammation, and the team’s preliminary data connect those signatures to more aggressive tumor biology, but linking these pathways to recurrence is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goel, Neha — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Goel, Neha
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.