Lifepool

Lifepool is a unique resource for research that combines health and lifestyle information, mammographic density data and health linkage data from over 55,000 women to date

The Lifepool research project is helping improve our understanding of how breast, ovarian and other gynaecological cancers develop, to find better ways of screening for these cancers, or predicting an a woman’s individual risk.

Lifepool collects blood or saliva samples for genetic research, as well as tumour samples from women diagnosed with breast cancer.

All women can contribute to the Lifepool project, contributing precious drops of information into a secure ‘pool’ of data.

Lifepool is a research study for every woman, including women who have had a diagnosis of cancer and women who have not.

The information and biospecimens that Lifepool collects from participants are deidentified and used in national and international research.

Lifepool was developed through initial funding by the National Breast Cancer Foundation and is led by researchers and clinicians from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Professor Ian Campbell, Professor Paul James, Professor Stephen Fox), The University of Melbourne (Professor John Hopper, Associate Professor Carolyn Nickson) and The Royal Melbourne and Womens’ hospitals (Professor Bruce Mann). BreastScreen Victoria is a close collaborator on the Lifepool project.

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Contact

Lisa Devereux, Lifepool Manager 
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Phone: 1800 198 082

Information for participants

Lifepool currently has over 55,000 participants and is continuing to recruit women across Australia.

When you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire. You may then be asked to donate a saliva or blood sample for DNA testing.

By contributing to the Lifepool Project, you can make a significant contribution toward improving the health of Australian women.

All contributions of data and biospecimens are deidentified. Lifepool creates a unique link for each individual woman, identifying you only via an eight digit Lifepool identification number.

Researchers using this data never see information that would identify any individuals.

Any woman over 18 years of age who has had, or intends to have, a mammogram with BreastScreen Victoria can sign up for the Lifepool project.

To join Lifepool

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with your name, date of birth, email, and postal address. 

You will receive a link to the online information, consent and questionnaire page by email. See also the Participant information form. You can also request a hardcopy pack to be sent to your home address.

For more information on how to arrange a free mammogram with BreastScreen, go to the BreastScreen website or phone 13 20 50.

Frequently asked questions

Information for researchers

The resources of Lifepool are available to national and international researchers from the academic and commercial sector, subject to a rigorous review and approval process

The Lifepool access policy provides an overview of the application process and describes how applications are reviewed.

Participants

55,700

Completed Baseline Questionnaires

55,700

Participants diagnosed with breast cancer (invasive & in situ)

2,764

DNA from participants with a diagnosis of breast cancer

1,015

DNA from participants unaffected by cancer

14,005

Digital mammogram images

994,000

Participants with more than 10 years follow-up data

20,711

 

Data updated: February 2024

Please contact Lifepool Manager Lisa Devereux to discuss how the resource can support your research.

Related pages

To access BreastScreen Victoria services:

BreastScreen Victoria. Caring about Women. 
For information or to make a screening mammogram appointment. You can also call 13 20 50

The National Breast Cancer Foundation

The National Cancer Cohort Platform (NCCP) Project