Cancer prevention study needs volunteers

The American Cancer Society is teaming up with Albany Medical Center to recruit volunteers for a major cancer study.

The nationwide Cancer Prevention 3 study, which is being run by the American Cancer Society, will help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer.

ACS has recruited 106,000 volunteers for the study since enrollment began in 2007. The cancer group originally set a goal of signing up 500,000 volunteers, but in 2011 the society lowered its goal to 300,000.

"We tried to be more realistic in terms of the number. It's always challenging to recruit this amount of people," said Dr. Alvaro Carrascal, senior vice president of cancer control of the New York/New Jersey chapter of the American Cancer Society.

"It's still a huge number," Carrascal said. "Very few organizations can hope to achieve 300,000. This is a very doable and worthwhile effort. In science and medicine to get good results you need large numbers to make any significant conclusions, especially with a disease like cancer."

The American Cancer Society is holding a news conference at Albany Medical Center on Tuesday to announce the partnership.

"Albany Med, obviously they are the preeminent academic medical center in the Capital Region," Carrascal said. "They have a strong commitment to serving the community, and having the endorsement and support of Albany Med means a lot to American Cancer Society in the Capital Region area."

The medical center will help spread the word about the study among its 7,200 employees and members of the community. The Cancer Society has similar partnerships with the state Department of Health and unions that represent government employees.

This is the third nationwide study undertaken by the American Cancer Society since the 1960s. Cancer Prevention 1, which enrolled 1 million Americans in 1959 and 1960, provided breakthrough information linking cancer to tobacco. Cancer Prevention 2, which enrolled 1.2 million people in 1982, helped establish a link between obesity, lack of physical activity and cancer.

The latest study focuses on the influence of lifestyle factors on cancer.

The cancer group is looking for people between the ages of 30 and 65 with no history of cancer.

Study volunteers will be asked to complete a comprehensive survey packet that asks for information on lifestyle, behavioral and other factors related to their health. Volunteers will have their waist circumference measured and give a small blood sample.

Upon completion of this process, the society will send periodic follow-up surveys and annual newsletters with study updates and results.

The in-person enrollment process takes approximately one hour to complete. Periodic follow-up surveys of various lengths are expected to be sent to individuals every few years.