Thank you for taking part in this study. We are enormously grateful for your help.
About this study
Breast cancer is probably caused by a complicated relationship between many different factors through life. The questions asked in this questionnaire cover a wide range of these factors. Some of them are known to be associated with breast cancer, some are suspected to be, and some have been included because they are frequently asked about by women, and we need to understand whether they cause an actual increase in breast cancer risk. What has not been studied before is whether we can understand more about a woman’s risk of developing cancer from studying what makes up milk, produced by cells in the breast.
The women who tested this questionnaire, either on their own or in groups, said either that the questionnaire was too long, or that it should ask more questions. Sometimes the same person made both comments, even though they are contradictory. To avoid testing your patience to the extreme, we have struck a balance between including as many topics and detail as possible, and keeping the questionnaire to a manageable length.
We hope you will complete the questionnaire even if it seems longer or shorter than you would wish. Your gift of contributing to this study cannot be underestimated for the potential to help women in the future.
Confidentiality
All of your answers will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be disclosed to any third party, including your doctors, unless you give us written permission to do so. The information that you provide will only be used for statistical analysis. It will not be possible to identify individuals in any results.
Consent form
Please read the following consent form. If you agree to take part in the study, please complete the form and proceed to the questionnaire. More information about the study can be found on the study website, or the Information Sheet (03/05/2024, v5). When we ask you to provide an expressed breast milk sample you will be asked to consent to the study again. Some participants will also be asked to provide a blood sample.
If you wish to withdraw your consent at any time, please contact the study team and you will be removed from the study.
If you would like to talk to someone about the study, please contact a member of the research team by emailing becs@milk-research.com. They will be able to help with any questions that you find unclear and answer any queries you may have.
