In an effort to help scientists carry out breast cancer research, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at IU Simon Cancer Center is continuing to encourage women to donate breast tissue.
As part of “Indy’s Super Cure,” a partnership between Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank and the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee, the goal is to collect a stockpile of healthy breast tissue samples for research. According to Jill Henry, chief operating officer of the tissue bank, last weekend, 165 women donated tissue at the IU Simon Cancer Center including 30 African-American women bringing the total number to 1,721. Henry added that 86 African-Americans have donated but many more are needed.
“The 30 African-American women were way more than I thought we were going to have so we were pretty happy about that,” said Henry. “Most of the donors are (white) women from Indiana and that is not a bad thing, but we really want to look like the United States as far as diversity.”
Saturday’s event was the final one of the year in Indianapolis but Henry is hoping that African-American women donate the weekend before the Super Bowl Jan. 28 and 29. The center hopes to accumulate 700 tissue donations over the two days.
For more information and to view a tutorial of the donation process, visit www.komentissuebank.iu.edu.
