More than 300,000 individuals across the country have enrolled in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3), reaching the participant goal in December (enrollment began in 2010) (OT 7/10/13 issue). The participants will be studied for the next 20 to 30 years to help understand how environmental and lifestyle exposures-in a younger study population than has previously been observed-play a role in either preventing or causing cancer.
"The findings from CPS-3 studies are not just scientific-they also provide the evidence we rely on to help shape health advice for the public, develop nutrition and physical activity guidelines and cancer prevention programs, and contribute to our advocacy efforts to change policies," Alpa Patel, PhD, ACS's Strategic Director of the study, said in a news release.
Results from previous ACS long-term follow-up studies have demonstrated the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer; the significant impact of being overweight or obese on risk of cancer occurrence and death; and the relationship between a wide range of other factors such as physical inactivity, alcohol, nutrition, and medications like aspirin on cancer risk. More than two million volunteer participants have joined the studies over the past 50 years.