MENUResearch today for a cancer-free tomorrow
When friends or family ask what they can do to help a patient undergoing cancer treatment, we have the perfect opportunity.
The American Cancer Society is recruiting men and women across the United States and Puerto Rico for a landmark new research study to better understand the genetic, environmental and other factors that may cause or prevent cancer.
Cancer Prevention Study-3, or CPS-3, is the third major, long-term cancer prevention study from the American Cancer Society. Some of the findings from previous Cancer Prevention Studies include:
- Linking smoking and lung cancer
- Prompting warning labels on cigarette packs and boxes
- Tying excess weight and obesity to an increased risk of death from 10 or more types of cancer
- Associating aspirin with lower risk of colorectal cancer
- Linking physical inactivity and certain dietary factors to cancer risk
"Our community has a unique opportunity to help finish the fight against cancer. Participating in this study could be the most important and meaningful action to fight cancer if even just one person could be spared a cancer diagnosis," says James Montie, M.D., Valassis Professor of Urologic Oncology at the University of Michigan.
As part of enrollment, individuals who choose to participate will simply fill out a comprehensive survey packet about health history, provide a small blood sample (to be collected by trained phlebotomists) and provide a waist measure. Enrollment will take approximately 20-30 minutes. From that point forward, study participants will be followed over time to update information via periodic, mailed surveys.
Study participants must be willing to make a long-term commitment to the study (which involves completing follow-up surveys periodically over the next 20-30 years), be between ages 30 and 65 and have never been diagnosed with cancer, excluding basal or squamous cell skin cancer.
If you don’t meet the eligibility requirements, your significant participation comes from telling everyone you know about the opportunity to help prevent cancer.
The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center is partnering with the American Cancer Society to host enrollment events from Oct. 30-Nov. 6, 2013.
Learn more about this project by visiting the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) web page.
Continue reading the Fall, 2013 issue of Thrive.