Cancer Prevention Study Set for 'Relay for Life'

Does your lifestyle make you susceptible to cancer?

A new American Cancer Society study aims to determine just that. And, if you're between the ages of 30 and 65 and have never been diagnosed with cancer, you could enroll in the study, which is being conducted at Friday as part of the Eastern Montgomery County Relay for Life.

Dubbed the Cancer Prevention Study 3, or CPS-3, the study is the third in a series conducted by the American Cancer Society to determine links between cancer and other behaviors. The first study linked cigarette smoking to cancer and the second saw a correlation between obesity and cancer. The third national study, for which the American Cancer Society hopes to survey 500,000 people, will look at the links between a person's lifestyle and cancer.

"This study may help us find ways to prevent cancer," said Betsy Williams, a  teacher who is chairing the CPS-3 enrollment effort Friday. 

The Eastern Montgomery County Relay for Life has been chosen as an enrollment site this year along with numerous other locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The goal is to enroll at least 160 people at the Horsham site, Williams said.

If past Relay For Life attendees are any indication, the American Cancer Society should be able to find enough people to survey. Williams, who had chaired the Relay For Life event the last three years, said upwards of 1,000 people generally come out for the overnight fundraiser, which begins Friday at 9 a.m. and continues through Saturday at 9 a.m. On average, 600 to 800 people participate, she said. 

Those interested in enrolling can come to the CPS-3 tent between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday. At the time of enrollment, American Cancer Society representatives will measure participants' waists and phlebotomists will collect a blood sample.

Following their enrollment, participants will receive a survey at home with questions related to medical history, lifestyle and behaviors. Surveys containing similar questions will continue every two or three years. The CPS-3 study will collect data over the next 20 to 30 years to determine which genetic, environmental, behavioral and lifestyle factors might cause or prevent cancer.

"The time it takes someone to watch a re-run of a favorite TV show is the time it would take to fill out the survey every two or three years," said Williams. "If we can find a way to prevent cancer by participating in this survey, I believe participants' time will have been well-spent."