SYRACUSE -- If you've ever wanted to help in fight against cancer, this may be your chance.
Currently, more than 11 million Americans are fighting cancer. Now, Central New Yorkers have an unprecedented chance to help determine what causes cancer so researchers can figure out how to prevent it.
This morning, officials from the American Cancer Society, SUNY Upstate and the YMCA announced a new opportunity to potentially change the face of cancer for future generations.
Officials are looking for 500,000 people across the country, including 1,000 Central New Yorkers to participate in a cancer study. They are looking for men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer.
The goal of the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) is to help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer.
"Upstate and the American Cancer Society have a wonderful collaboration established with both patient care and research," said Dr. Leslie Kohman, medical director of the new Upstate Cancer Center. "The CPS-3 study further confirms our joint mission to fight cancer by offering our Upstate community the chance to participate in this research study, to literally, make cancer history."
Are you interested in participating? Enrollment events will be held October 12-15 at two Upstate locations and at all three YMCA branches.
To enroll in the study, click here to make an appointment during one of the 6 enrollment times next month. The initial enrollment process takes about 45-60 minutes.
After you register, a survey will be emailed to participants about their health history. You should complete the survey and bring it with you to your appointment. At the appointment, you will complete a brief survey, provide a waist circumference measurement and provide a small blood sample.
You will then be emailed a brief follow-up survey every 2-3 years to complete and return.
"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 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."
Two previous American Cancer Society studies helped determine the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, 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.
"Taking less than an hour 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 Syracuse to join this effort that we know will save lives and improve the outlook for future generations," said Dr. Patel.
For more information about the study, click here or e-mail: cps3@cancer.org. You can also call (888) 604-5888.
To enroll in the study, click here.
