ACS begins cancer study at Saint Joseph

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Carmel Hensley (left) completed her first American Cancer Society survey with several others at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday at Saint Joseph London. Photo by Magen McCrarey

August 9, 2012

ACS begins cancer study at Saint Joseph

By Magen McCrarey Staff Writer The Sentinel-Echo Thu Aug 09, 2012, 12:32 PM EDT

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — The American Cancer Society (ACS) has for the first time chosen more rural and southern areas of the U.S. to participate in their third Cancer Prevention Study (CPS-3). Saint Joseph London is one of seven KentuckyOne Health hospitals in the state to host the study and has the most participants enrolled.

"The community itself is open (to it). I think it's because we have so many cancer deaths here," said Charlotte Brewer, an ACS representative. "A lot of people may think 'it may not help me, but help my grandchildren down the road.'"

There were 100 pre-registered participants for the study enrollment at Saint Joseph London on Tuesday. ACS started their first cancer study in the late 1950s where the correlation was first discovered between tobacco use and lung cancer. Since then, ACS initiated a second study in 1982 with 1.2 million enrolled to investigate the relation between diet and other lifestyle factors and exposures and the risk of cancer, mortality and survival.

Those enrolled from '82 are still being studied by ACS, and those being studied currently in the CPS-3 will be required to complete periodic surveys for up to 20 years. The London area was chosen particularly for their high incidents and mortality rate, which ranked 26th out of 120 counties for mortality in Kentucky in 2011. Cancer rates are also extremely high in the southern rural areas of the U.S., Brewer said.

The most prevalent cancer in Kentucky is lung cancer, followed by breast, colon, prostate, cervical and skin.

"I just chose to do it to try to help research and do my part to try to help out," said participant Carmel Hensley, infection control nurse at Saint Joseph London. "I think that everybody needs to participate in research if they can — so they can help further the cause."

Study participants must be between the ages 30 to 65 and have never been diagnosed with cancer. Participants are asked questions in regard to their lifestyle, behavior, hormones, genetics and other vital information that may pin-point possible preventions for their community to follow or cancer causing factors. An example of a question is whether or not the participant drinks bottled or tap water.

"There are a lot of people in a lot of families that never get a diagnosis. What are they doing? It's looking at things that maybe we do right," Brewer said.

There are 300,000 enrolled in the ACS CPS-3 study from coast-to-coast from different demographic and geographical areas. Other Kentucky hospitals hosting the ACS surveys are Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East, Flaget Memorial Hospital, and Saint Joseph Mount Sterling.

"Locally, a lot of people only see us as a relay raising money," Brewer said. "This is a good way to see research in action."

For more information about the American Cancer Society, visit www.cancer.org. For more information about CPS-3, visit cancer.org/cps3, e-mail cps3@cancer.org or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.

mmccrarey@sentinel-echo.com

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