VENTURA COUNTY — While medical advances continue, the fight against cancer remains a stubborn one with equal parts success and failure.
To help understand the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that cause or prevent cancer, the American Cancer Society has launched a series of studies nationwide.
The latest is Cancer Prevention Study 3.
While the study is open to everyone between the age of 30 and 65, Latinos will play an important role in the research. As one of the fastest-growing demographics in the nation, the disease will continue to impact the lives of that community.
The ultimate goal is to enroll at least 300,000 adults from various racial and ethnic backgrounds — who have no personal history of cancer — from across the U.S. CPS-3 is a grassroots effort where local communities from across the country can support cancer research not just through fundraising efforts, but also by participating actively in this historic research study.
After scheduling an enrollment appointment, participants will receive a confirmation email with instructions to go online and complete their first, most comprehensive survey.
They will then be asked to take part in one of five enrollment events: from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11 at the Ventura County Government Center, 800 So. Victoria Ave., Ventura; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker’s Union, 3994 E. Main St., Ventura; 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17 at St. John’s Regional Medical Center, 1600 No. Rose Ave., Oxnard; 3 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18 at Ventura County Medical Center, 3291 Loma Vista Road, Ventura; or 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 at St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital, 2309 Antonio Drive, Camarillo.
At the appointment, participants will be asked to read and sign an informed consent form, complete a brief survey, have their waist measured and provide a small blood sample which will be frozen and stored for future research.
They will then periodically receive a survey at home to update the information.
If cancer affects any of the participants, the blood sample will be unfrozen for study.
Officials hope that by examining the samples, and looking at the participants’ genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors, researchers will eventually be able to trace the cause of certain cancers and design specific drugs and treatments.
To enroll, go to https://www.seeuthere.com/rsvp/invitation/invitation.asp?id=/m1c9c3bc-4XMW86M5WJLGV, visit
http://www.cancer.org/cps3, email cps3@cancer.org or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.