American Cancer Society seeking long term volunteers

Ramiro Lopez / Staff writer
In an effort to stamp out cancer, the American Cancer Society (ACS) is conducting the latest phase of a cancer prevention study that originally began in the mid 1950s.
This latest phase, Cancer Prevention Study–3 (CPS-3) is seeking to enroll 300,000 participants nationwide and 500 participants from the Nueces County/Coastal Bend area to take part in this potentially lifesaving study.  
ACS has partnered with Del Mar College and other local organizations to reach this recruitment goal.
Beverly A. Cage, director of Student Leadership and Campus Life at Del Mar College (DMC), is the point of contact for CPS-3 at DMC.
According to Cage, the goal of CPS-3 is to gather data over the course of about 20 to 30 years to better understand the causes of cancer with the ultimate goal of cancer prevention.
ACS is looking for volunteers from diverse backgrounds with an emphasis on groups traditionally at higher risk of contracting cancer.
Volunteers must be between the ages of 30 and 65 and must never have been diagnosed with cancer.  Participants in this study will not be asked to make any lifestyle changes whatsoever during their participation in this study.
Participants can expect follow-up questionnaires or surveys from ACS approximately every two to three years.  Although DMC is an enrollment location, enrollment is open to the community.  Anyone interested in taking part in this study should log onto www.cancer.org/cps.
Alternate locations for enrollment in the Corpus Christi area include First Baptist Church, Christus Spohn Cancer Center, Fellowship of Oso Creek, American Cancer Society Office and and Corpus Christi City Hall.
Detail information about enrollment dates and times at each of these locations can be accessed by following the “Where To Join” link at the above website.  Specific concerns, issues the request of additional information can be obtained by emailing cps3@cancer.org.
Enrollment at Del Mar College will be held Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Harvin Student Center.  During this initial process, participants can expect to fill out a questionnaire or survey and have blood drawn.
ASC assures that all information between ASC and participants is fully protected.