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The American Cancer Society is seeking volunteers from the local area to become "champions" to participate in a historic nationwide study --- or at least help spread the word.

Sharon Stalter, health initiatives representative for the ACS branch that serves the Mon Valley, calls it "a once in a lifetime" opportunity.

"We need to recruit about 1,000 people out of the Greater Pittsburgh area, so we're looking for any opportunity to raise awareness," she says.

The ACS is beginning a 20-year research study to gather information about cancer, its causes and methods of prevention. A similar study begun in the 1950s helped establish the links between smoking and lung cancer, Stalter says, while another begun in the 1980s identified links between certain kinds of cancer with obesity and hormone replacement drugs.

The society is recruiting people between the ages of 30 and 65 with no previous history of cancer (except for certain times of skin cancer). Volunteers are asked to complete a short questionnaire and must have a blood test done.

Their personal information is kept anonymous, Stalter says. Nationwide, about 300,000 volunteers are being recruited.

Every two years, volunteers will be asked to complete a new survey.

"Many individuals diagnosed with cancer struggle to answer the question, 'What caused my cancer?'" Stalter says. "In many cases, the answer isn't known."

Having a large quantity of information will help researchers better understand what factors cause cancer, and possibly how to help prevent it, she says. Another study like this probably won't take place for at least 20 years, Stalter says.

Tests take about 20 minutes and will be held at 14 sites in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Washington counties, she says. In the Mon-Yough area, those sites including the Wilmerding YMCA on Ice Plant Road and Mon Valley Hospital in Carroll Twp.

"We're trying to recruit 100 'champions' --- people who will help raise awareness of this study in their local areas and help recruit 10 other people to join," Stalter says. "With 100 champions, we can enroll 1,000 people right here in Pittsburgh."


For more information, call (412) 919-1100 or visit the website at www.greaterpittsburghcps3.org.

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