Are you waiting to care about the cause of cancer till you
are directly affected by it? Many
Americans are. They are happy to put a
donation in an envelope once a year and be on their way. This year the American Cancer Society is
starting the third and final phase of their longitudinal research study on
preventing cancer. This study has been
done in the past and has given society some of the most memorable breakthroughs
in the fight for lowering diagnosed cases of cancer. Discoveries such as the
link between obesity and cancer, the benefits of physical exercise, and the
link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, just to name a few.
The population used for this research is diverse and the
length of the study is over twenty years.
All participants have no personal history of cancer other than basal or
squamous cell skin cancer. And, the men
and women that participate must be between 30 and 65 to be eligible. The commitment is long term but the benefits
are enduring forever. Saving lives is
priceless, valued at more than any check that can be placed in an envelope.
And yet, so few are willing to volunteer the 30 minutes needed
to go, one time, to a site location to give blood, have their waist measured
and pick up a registration packet. After
that one and only inconvenience, all surveys are done by participants in the
comfort of their homes, either in written form they will receive by mail or via
the internet. This is so much less intrusive than going through chemotherapy or
radiation. And yet, to help prevent
others from getting a cancer diagnosis by having more breakthrough discoveries,
it is still hard to get otherwise healthy individuals to sign up to participate
in this important project.
Some staggering statistics follow: 12 million Americans have had cancer,
including those currently in some form of treatment as of December 2012. Our
survival rates are dramatically improving, especially in certain types of
cancers but we still have over 1,500 people a day die of cancer in our country.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U. S. only exceeded by heart
disease. Cancer is responsible for 1 out
of four deaths.
Please consider participating in a study that takes little
time or effort. Simply one appointment
and every other year, filling out of a survey in your home is all that is
needed. Do you can find the time to
drink a pop, eat a pop tart, or surf the internet? If you do, can you likewise, find the time to
participate in this study called CPS-3 that just might one day lead to a break
through discovery to save a life, possibly yours?
Visit cps3nashville.org for more information and to register for the
study.
