Nationwide American Cancer Society Study Looks to Union & Middlesex County, NJ for Participants
New Jersey Residents Can Have Direct Impact on Cancer Research. A Little of your time can make a Huge difference in the Fight Against Cancer.
Union, NJ, May 06, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The American Cancer Society is looking to Union County and Middlesex County residents to play a direct role in improving the lives of future generations by participating in a historic study. The Society will be signing up volunteers for its Cancer Prevention Study-3, “CPS-3” at two locations. The first opportunity will take place on Saturday, May 30, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm at Relay For Life of Berkeley Heights, Governor Livingston High School, 175 Watchung Boulevard, Berkeley Heights, NJ. The second chance for study enrollment will be on Friday, June 19 from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm at Relay For Life of Woodbridge, Colonia High School Track and Field, 180 East Street, Colonia, NJ.
The study, which will enroll a diverse population of half a million people across the United States, will help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer, and will further efforts to eliminate cancer as a major health concern for future generations. Berkeley Heights and Woodbridge are two of over 200 enrollment sites currently scheduled for 2009, nearly double the number of sites that took part in 2008.
Participants must be between the ages of 30 and 65, must never have been diagnosed with cancer, and must be willing to make a long-term commitment to the study, which simply means filling out follow-up surveys at their home periodically. To enroll in the study, individuals will be asked to complete a brief written survey, provide a waist measurement, and give a small blood sample at the Relay enrollment site, in addition to completing a baseline survey at their home. For the first time in more than 50 years of conducting these kinds of studies, the Society is making it possible for participants to complete their baseline and follow-up questionnaires online.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Americans to participate in lifesaving cancer research,” said Alpa V. Patel, Ph.D., American Cancer Society strategic director of CPS-3, who is overseeing the study. “While we have been conducting these types of studies for decades, our world-class research department can only study new and emerging cancer risks if members of the community are willing to become involved.”
Deirdre McGuinness, Senior Director of Relay For Life events says “This is a unique opportunity to use the power of Relay For Life to rally the community in the fight against this disease. Individuals who come to this event to enroll for CPS-3 directly support the Society’s mission to reduce the burden of cancer.”
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 and involved hundreds of thousands of volunteer participants. The Hammond-Horn Study and previous Cancer Prevention Studies (CPS-I, and CPS-II) have played a major role in understanding cancer prevention and risk, and have contributed significantly to the scientific literature and to the development of public health guidelines and recommendations. Those studies confirmed the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, showed that obesity increases the risk of several cancers, and linked aspirin use to a lower death rate from colon cancer. The current study, CPS-II, began in 1982 and is still ongoing. But changes in lifestyle and in the understanding of cancer in the more than two decades since its launch make it important to begin a new cohort.
The Berkeley Heights and Woodbridge Relay For Life events will be the only locations featuring CPS-3 enrollment for Union and Middlesex Counties this year. While initial enrollment takes just 20 to 30 minutes, the study is expected to produce benefits for decades to come. “While science can do a lot to explain the biology and genetics of cancer, some of the most valuable information we have is a direct result of the contributions of dedicated individuals over several generations,” said Dr. Patel. “We are once again looking to the dedication, compassion, and generosity of Americans to come through and help us provide answers that we know will save lives and improve the outlook for future generations.”
For information or to learn how to become involved with CPS-3, visit the American Cancer Society on the web at www.cancer.org/cps3 or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888. To learn about Relay For Life events in your area, contact your local American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit the web at www.relayforlife.org.
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The study, which will enroll a diverse population of half a million people across the United States, will help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer, and will further efforts to eliminate cancer as a major health concern for future generations. Berkeley Heights and Woodbridge are two of over 200 enrollment sites currently scheduled for 2009, nearly double the number of sites that took part in 2008.
Participants must be between the ages of 30 and 65, must never have been diagnosed with cancer, and must be willing to make a long-term commitment to the study, which simply means filling out follow-up surveys at their home periodically. To enroll in the study, individuals will be asked to complete a brief written survey, provide a waist measurement, and give a small blood sample at the Relay enrollment site, in addition to completing a baseline survey at their home. For the first time in more than 50 years of conducting these kinds of studies, the Society is making it possible for participants to complete their baseline and follow-up questionnaires online.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Americans to participate in lifesaving cancer research,” said Alpa V. Patel, Ph.D., American Cancer Society strategic director of CPS-3, who is overseeing the study. “While we have been conducting these types of studies for decades, our world-class research department can only study new and emerging cancer risks if members of the community are willing to become involved.”
Deirdre McGuinness, Senior Director of Relay For Life events says “This is a unique opportunity to use the power of Relay For Life to rally the community in the fight against this disease. Individuals who come to this event to enroll for CPS-3 directly support the Society’s mission to reduce the burden of cancer.”
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 and involved hundreds of thousands of volunteer participants. The Hammond-Horn Study and previous Cancer Prevention Studies (CPS-I, and CPS-II) have played a major role in understanding cancer prevention and risk, and have contributed significantly to the scientific literature and to the development of public health guidelines and recommendations. Those studies confirmed the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, showed that obesity increases the risk of several cancers, and linked aspirin use to a lower death rate from colon cancer. The current study, CPS-II, began in 1982 and is still ongoing. But changes in lifestyle and in the understanding of cancer in the more than two decades since its launch make it important to begin a new cohort.
The Berkeley Heights and Woodbridge Relay For Life events will be the only locations featuring CPS-3 enrollment for Union and Middlesex Counties this year. While initial enrollment takes just 20 to 30 minutes, the study is expected to produce benefits for decades to come. “While science can do a lot to explain the biology and genetics of cancer, some of the most valuable information we have is a direct result of the contributions of dedicated individuals over several generations,” said Dr. Patel. “We are once again looking to the dedication, compassion, and generosity of Americans to come through and help us provide answers that we know will save lives and improve the outlook for future generations.”
For information or to learn how to become involved with CPS-3, visit the American Cancer Society on the web at www.cancer.org/cps3 or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888. To learn about Relay For Life events in your area, contact your local American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit the web at www.relayforlife.org.
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Contact
American Cancer Society-Eastern Division
KissAwayCancer
973-736-7771 ext. 205 or 206
www.cancer.org/cps3
KissAwayCancer@aol.com, Jennifer.Coulombe@cancer.org,deirdre.mcguinness@cancer.org,amanda.wisniewski@cancer.org
KissAwayCancer
973-736-7771 ext. 205 or 206
www.cancer.org/cps3
KissAwayCancer@aol.com, Jennifer.Coulombe@cancer.org,deirdre.mcguinness@cancer.org,amanda.wisniewski@cancer.org
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