Wright State community invited to participate in historic cancer study

The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) will enroll a diverse population of up to a half-million people across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

An opportunity to participate in a nationwide and historic study will soon be available to the Wright State community. Researchers believe the findings will allow them to better understand how lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors cause cancer.

The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) will enroll a diverse population of up to a half-million people across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Wright State students, faculty and staff will get their chance to enroll May 22 in the Millett Hall Atrium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers from We Serve U and the campus community will staff the enrollment site.

Men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer are the target demographic.

Visit http://www.miamivalleyCPS3.org to learn more.

“Many individuals diagnosed with cancer struggle to answer the question, ‘What caused my cancer?’ In many cases, we don’t know the answer,” said Alpa V. Patel, Ph.D., 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.”

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 collectively have involved millions of volunteer participants.

The Hammond-Horn Study and previous Cancer Prevention Studies (CPS-1, and CPS-2) have played a major role in understanding cancer prevention and risk, and have contributed significantly to the scientific basis and development of public health guidelines and recommendations. Those studies confirmed the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, demonstrated the link between larger waist size and increased death rates from cancer and other causes, and showed the considerable impact of air pollution on heart and lung conditions.

The current study, CPS-2, began in 1982 and is still being conducted. 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 study.

To enroll in CPS-3, individuals will be asked to read and sign an informed consent form, complete a brief survey, have their waist circumference measured, and give a small blood sample. The process should take 20–30 minutes to complete.

At home, enrollees will 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 American 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 less than an hour to complete and are expected to be sent every few years.

Researchers say the voluntary, long-term commitment by participants is what will produce benefits for decades to come.

“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,” said Dr. Patel. “We’re looking for more like-minded individuals at Wright State to join this effort that we know will save lives and improve the outlook for future generations.”