Nationwide cancer study enlists help from Cleveland residents

CLEVELAND - The American Cancer Society, East Central Division, hosted a kick-off event Thursday to recruit Cleveland area residents interested in spreading the word about the importance of participating in a historic nationwide study.

Sara Wells, American Cancer Society Health Initiatives Director, said the Cancer Prevention Study-3 will examine how "physical activity, diet, and lifestyle behaviors, play a role in relation to cancer."

The American Cancer Society's Department of Epidemiology & Surveillance Research is recruiting 300,000 adults across the U.S. and Puerto Rico for the study.

This is the third cancer prevention study. The first looked at the link between tobacco and lung cancer and the second examined how obesity and nutrition affected cancer risk.

Men and women who are willing to commit to this new study must be between the ages of 30 and 65, and never have been diagnosed with cancer.

To enroll, individuals provide a waist measurement, give a small blood sample and complete 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 to 30 years.   

The goal is to recruit 20 task force members and enroll at least 1,000 participants in the Cleveland area in July and August.

Thursday's event at the American Cancer Society office on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland recruited about 25 community champions.

For more information on the study go to http://cancer.org/cps3 or call the American Cancer Society at 888-227-6446 Ext. 1300.