Centegra Seeking 600 Volunteers for Cancer Study

Centegra Health System and the American Cancer Society are partnering to recruit healthy volunteers to participate in a historic cancer-prevention study.

Centegra is the first health system in Illinois invited to join the American Cancer Society in the Cancer Prevention Study-3 that has the potential to change the face of cancer for future generations, according to Kim Kubiak, senior public relations coordinator for Centegra.

“We hope to recruit more than 600 participants in McHenry County,” Kubiak said.

Centegra is seeking volunteer men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer to participate in Cancer Prevention Study-3.

“I was the first to enroll,” said Amy Moerschbaecher, executive director of medicine and oncology services at Centegra.

"This study will help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer ... This is the perfect opportunity for those who really want to do something to help make a difference in the fight against cancer.”

To participate, volunteers must go to www.seeuthere.com/cps3enroll/mchenryil to schedule an appointment.

Limited appointment dates are available: from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. April 3, at Centegra Hospital- Woodstock, and from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 4 at Centegra-Hospital McHenry.

Participants will receive a confirmation email after scheduling the appointment, Kubiak said. The email will instruct them to complete the first, most comprehensive survey.

The survey includes questions about family history, medications, lifestyle and other behaviors. All information will be kept confidential.

At the appointment, participants will give small blood samples and have their waist circumferences measured. Afterward, the American Cancer Society will send periodic follow-up surveys every few years.

“Many individuals diagnosed with cancer struggle with what caused it. In many cases we don’t know,” said Dr. Alpa Patel, principal investigator for Cancer Prevention Study-3. “The study will help us better understand what factors cause cancer, and once we know that, we can better prevent cancer.”

Previous Studies Found Cancer Links

Patel said previous cancer-prevention studies have been instrumental in identifying some of the major factors affecting cancer risk. Cancer Prevention Study-3 could identify new and emerging cancer risks.

Research from the Cancer Prevention Study-3 data will build on previous information collected by the American Cancer Society since 1950. The current study, Cancer Prevention Study-2, started in 1982 and is ongoing.

The previous studies helped confirm the link between smoking and lung cancer, demonstrated the link between a larger waist size and other causes for increased death rates from cancer, and showed the impact of air pollution on heart and lung conditions.

The long-term commitment of the volunteer participants produces benefits for years to come.

“Taking an hour or so every few years to fill out a survey, and potentially save someone from being diagnosed with cancer in the future, is a commitment that thousands of volunteer participants have already made,” Patel said. “We’re looking for more like-minded individuals in McHenry County to join this effort that we know will save lives and improve the outlook for future generations.”