Athens residents get opportunity to participate in cancer study

A partnership between Athens Regional Medical Center and the American Cancer Society?s Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3), which is aimed at understanding cancer better, will offer Athens residents the opportunity to participate in the study Nov. 7-8.

?We are really excited about this,? said Rachel Joiner, mission delivery manager for the American Cancer Society.

?It?s a great opportunity for the community, and we are hoping it will answer some of our questions about what causes cancer,? she said.

Men and women who have never been diagnosed with cancer are needed to participate in CPS-3, which will enroll a diverse population of up to half a million people across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The study is open to anyone who is 30-65 years old; who has never been diagnosed with cancer (not including basal or squamous cell skin cancer); and who is willing to make a long-term commitment to it, which involves completing periodic follow-up surveys at home for the next 20-30 years.

?There are no other exclusions that would keep someone from participating,? Joiner said.

CPS-3 will help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer.

?Many individuals diagnosed with cancer struggle to answer the question, ?What caused my cancer?? and in many cases, we don?t know the answer,? said Alpa V. Patel, principal investigator of CPS-3.

?CPS-3 will help us better understand what factors cause cancer, and once we know that, we can be better equipped to prevent cancer. Our previous cancer prevention studies have been instrumental in helping us identify some of the major factors that can affect cancer risk. CPS-3 holds the best hope of identifying new and emerging cancer risks, and we can only do this if members of the community are willing to become involved,? Patel said.

To enroll in the study, participants should go to Athens Regional Medical Center to sign an informed consent form, complete a brief survey, have their waist circumference measured and give a small blood sample.

The in-person enrollment process takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Folks at home can complete a comprehensive survey packet that asks for information on lifestyle, behavioral and other factors related to their health. Upon completion of this process, the Cancer Society will continue to send periodic follow-up surveys to update participant information and annual newsletters with study updates and results.

The initial and follow-up surveys completed at home will take an hour or less to complete and are expected to be sent every few years.

Researchers will use the data from CPS-3 to build on evidence from a series of American Cancer Society studies that began in the 1950s that have involved millions of volunteer participants.

The commitment by participants is voluntary, but long-term.

?Taking an hour or so every few years to fill out a survey ? and potentially save someone from being diagnosed with cancer in the future ? is a commitment that thousands of volunteer participants have already made. We?re looking for more like-minded individuals in Athens and surrounding areas to join this effort that we know will save lives and improve the outlook for future generations,? said Patel.

Joiner said at least 350 people from Athens and the surrounding area already have signed up to participate.

?We can see ... up to 500 people ... so there is at least 150 more slots to fill. It grows exponentially every week, so we are looking to recruit about 100 people (this week) and then leave room for walk-ins,? she said.

For more information or to learn how to become involved with CPS-3, visit www.cps3Athens.com, email rachel.joiner@cancer.org or call (888) 604-5888.

Source: http://onlineathens.com/health/2012-10-29/athens-residents-get-opportunity-participate-cancer-study

the time machine michelin tires michelin tires rett syndrome where the wild things are josh smith birdsong