by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
A historic cancer study is about to be launched nationwide by the American Cancer Society, including central Minnesota, and volunteers are needed between June 11-20.
The 20-year study is known as “Cancer Prevention Study-3” (CPS-3). It’s an effort to find out which, if any, factors contribute to causing cancer and perhaps which factors might help prevent cancer. Those factors include genetic, environmental, nutrition and lifestyle.
Researchers are seeking men and women, ages 30-65, who have never had cancer. Volunteers will be asked to fill out a survey about themselves and visit a local site for an interview and to give a blood sample. Then, during the course of the next 20 years, those volunteers will be sent questionnaires in the mail every few years to update their information.
Anyone interested should make an appointment as soon as possible by going to: CPS3CentralMN.org or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.
People can make appointments for enrollment as a volunteer at one of six area sites from June 11-20. The sites are at Automotive Parts Headquarters and St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud; St. Boniface Catholic Church, Cold Spring; Living Waters Lutheran Church, Sauk Rapids; Rejuv Medical and Anytime Fitness, Waite Park. The times and dates for appointments at those places is listed on the website listed above.
An estimated 300,000 people nationwide will take part in the study. It’s the third such study by the American Cancer Society. The first study, which began in the late 1940s, helped establish the link between smoking and lung cancer. The second study showed links between larger waist sizes and increased death rates from cancer and other causes, as well as the impact of air pollution on heart and lung conditions. The study will help researchers connect a myriad of dots that may lead to cancer causes and prevention strategies.
Corrie Beckermann, director of Student Health Services at St. Cloud State University, is a volunteer for the American Cancer Society who is trying to enlist people’s interest in CPS-3.
The central Minnesota area, she said, is one of three area in the state where the study will be initiated. The others are Duluth and the Twin Cities.
“The researchers put all the information into a huge data bank from all over the country,” Beckermann said. “All the things that might contribute to cancer or prevent it. Over a long period of time, researchers can discover connections they did not know about before.”
