Nationwide cancer study seeks volunteers

The American Cancer Society, Midwest Division, will host a Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) kick-off event to recruit St. Croix County residents interested in spreading the word about the importance of participating in a historic nationwide study that will help researchers better understand the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that cause or prevent cancer.

The event will be held Thursday, July 26 at Hudson Hospital. Registration is at 7:30 a.m. with a brief program to begin at 7:45 a.m. At the kick off, participants will receive all the information they need to educate community members about the study and how they can make an appointment to enroll in the study.

Speakers include Karen Humphrey, American Cancer Society Midwest Board of Directors; Pat Cooksey, Hudson Hospital Director, Business Development and Marketing and Matt Flory, Director of Healthcare Partnerships, American Cancer Society.

To better understand the lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer, the American Cancer Society’s Department of Epidemiology & Surveillance Research is recruiting 300,000 adults across the U.S. and Puerto Rico for a new research study, the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3).

Men and women who are willing to commit to the study must be between the ages of 30 and 65 and never have been diagnosed with cancer, other than basal or squamous cell skin cancer. To enroll, individuals provide a waist measurement, give a small blood sample and complete both a baseline and enrollment survey. Over the course of the study, participants will be asked to fill out follow-up surveys every few years for the next 20-30 years.

The goal is to recruit 20 community champions and enroll more than 210 participants in St. Croix County in September. While the American Cancer Society has been conducting these types of studies for decades, their world-class research department can only study new and emerging cancer risks if members of the community are willing to become involved. Enrollment will take place between Sept. 11 at Hudson Hospital and Sept. 12 at the St. Croix Government Center.

For more information on CPS-3, go www.cancer.org/cps3 or to schedule an enrollment appointment go http://www.CPS3StCroix.org.

Tags: lifestyle, health, education