FeedsCancer study adds to Relay for Life
When the Relay for Life returns to Heritage Park next week, attendees will have a chance to make history.
The American Cancer Society is looking for Metro Detroit residents to take part in a cancer prevention study designed to improve the lives of future generations.
Canton will be one of four sites across the state where volunteers can register for the study.
“It is our goal to reduce cancer incidence and mortality through prevention, early detection and better cancer treatment which can only be found through research,” said Marion Rozum, chair of the Great Lakes Division of the CPS.
The ACS is looking for more than 500,000 people across the country to take part in the study. The initial sign up will take about 30 minutes, with registration taking place from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 17.
Participants must be between the ages of 30 and 65, must never have been diagnosed with cancer, and must be willing to make a long-term commitment to the study. They will be asked to complete a brief written survey, provide a waist measurement, and give a small blood sample at the enrollment site. After that, follow-up surveys will be sent to participants’ homes on a regular basis over the next few decades to update health behavior information, Rozum said.
“It is not an exaggeration to say the American Cancer Society is the only organization likely to be able to successfully recruit and retain such a large-scale population for cancer research,” said Eugenia E. Calle, Ph.D., American Cancer Society director of analytic epidemiology, who is overseeing the study. “We can reach diverse populations nationwide who have a shared commitment to cancer research and to eliminating this disease; and because we are a non-profit organization with the ability to partner with volunteers, we can conduct the study for much less than would be possible for the government or a private corporation.”
Canton was selected as a sign-up location because of the success of its Relays, which are 24-hour fundraisers designed to generate money for cancer prevention and research. Canton Township usually generates more than $200,000 each year during the event. Volunteers have contributed more than $1.8 million to the cause from township events, alone.
Rozum said she has tried to recruit people to the study through several different mediums, but doesn’t know what to expect on May 17.
“It is hard to predict,” she said. “This study has been so widely publicized that I have great expectations.
“I sincerely hope that people find this study important enough to join us,” she added.
For more information anytime visit www.cancer.org.
