Mary Brady has written up the details about a new study that female RPCVs have been asked to participate in.
FEMALE RPCVS ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN STUDY
Baylor College of Medicine is studying a possible link between the decreased risk of cancers and medications taken during Peace Corps service. Author Kara McArthur provides full details in the WorldView Summer 2014 edition of the National Peace Corps Association magazine.
Specifically, the study asks if short term treatment with chloroquine can prevent breast cancer. Early studies in rats show that it interrupts the first link in carcinogenesis by starving mutant cells before they can become cancerous. The study, funded by Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, is trying to focus on ways to end breast cancer.
Because many RPCVs took chloroquine during their service, Baylor decided to seek out this specific group. Head researcher, Clifford Dasco, and other researchers developed an online survey of RPCVs and breast cancer. They are specifically looking at female RPCVs who served between 1961 and 1990. Because NPCA’s database has not been shared with them, they are counting on us to spread the word in order to get as many respondents as possible to respond to the survey. NPCA also agreed to reach out through the information in the main database; you may be receiving an email asking you to participate in the survey through this mechanism. If you served during this time, and also took chloroquine, please consider responding to the survey.
For more information on the study, go to the NPCA website.
If you want to participate in future studies, you can join the mailing list on the CorpsChronicles website.
For the full article, please go to www.peacecorpsconnect.org Summer 2014 issue.