JACKSON, Miss. – For anyone that is interested having an active role in cancer research, this could be your last chance. Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) is a nation wide survey that examines the causes of cancer and it made its way to Mississippi once again. The American Cancer Society is looking for people between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer that are willing to make a commitment.
 
"This isn’t necessarily for research, but for treatment and prevention in the future,” said Amanda Patton, Executive Director for the American Cancer Society.
 
Those that participate in the survey must provide a waste measurement, give a small blood sample, and complete a baseline enrolment survey. They will also be asked to do follow up surveys every year for the next 20-30 years.
 
These surveys will help doctors identify new genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors than could contribute to cancer, and cause other health complications.  The information could also help discover new preventative measures and improve risk prediction for cancer. 
 
“Our lung cancer and breast cancer rates are some of the highest of the 50 states in the nation. The people of Mississippi should be very concerned about this, because it gives them an opportunity to change that and hopefully save more lives.”
 
Previous cancer prevention studies, CPS-1 and CPS-2, have made a tremendous impact on cancer prevention. Those contributions include:

• Linking smoking to cancer
• Confirmed relation between secondhand smoke with lunch cancer and heart disease
• Confirmed that low tar/nicotine cigarettes don’t reduce lung cancer risk
• First epidemiological study to prove obesity shortens longevity
• First epidemiological study to show sitting time shortens longevity
• Discovery of the link between aspirin use and lower risk of colon cancer
• Development of the Pap smear
• Development of the Colonoscopy

The study ends nationwide in December 2013. For more information visit cps3jackson.org