Local Residents Called to Contribute to Historic Cancer Research Effort

For Immediate Release June 2012

Community Involvement Can Answer Critical Questions about Cancer Causes & Prevention

Residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast have a special opportunity to participate in a historic study that has the potential to change the face of cancer for future generations. Men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer are needed to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3). CPS-3 will enroll a diverse population of up to half a million people across the United States and Puerto Rico. The opportunity for local residents to enroll in CPS-3 is being made possible in partnership with Memorial Hospital at Gulfport on Tuesday, August 7 and Wednesday, August 8. Participants can schedule an appointment by going to www.cps3gulfcoast.org.

CPS-3 will help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer.

Enrollment will take place August 7 and 8 at the Memorial Medical office Building Atrium, 1340 Broad Avenue in Gulfport. Participants can register in the study by going to www.cps3gulfcoast.org. An informational kickoff will be held on June 20 at 1:00 p.m. at the Memorial Hospital at Gulfport Medical Office Building Atrium for all those interested in learning more about CPS-3.

To enroll in the study, individuals will be asked to read and sign an informed consent form; complete a comprehensive survey packet that asks for information on lifestyle, behavioral, and other factors related to your health; have your waist circumference measured; and give a small blood sample. Upon completion of this process, the Society will send periodic follow-up surveys to update your information and annual newsletters with study updates and results. The in-person enrollment process takes approximately an hour to complete. Periodic follow-up surveys of various lengths are expected to be sent every few years to individuals.

Many individuals diagnosed with cancer struggle to answer the question