Now there is an opportunity for your friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers who want to fight back against prostate cancer in your honor? They have the opportunity to take part in an historic research effort being conducted by the American Cancer Society where they can indeed fight back in a very easy way.

The American Cancer Society is recruiting 500,000 men and women who have never been diagnosed with any type of cancer for a new study called Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3). CPS-3 will help us better understand the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that cause and prevent cancer, ultimately helping to eliminate cancer as a major health concern.

Individuals are eligible to participate if they:

* are between the ages of 30 and 65
* have never personally been diagnosed with cancer (not including basal or squamous cell skin cancer)
* are willing to make a long-term commitment to the study, which simply means completing periodic follow-up surveys.

Enrollment will be taking place at select American Cancer Society events in 2008, with additional sites to be selected through 2011. The enrollment process is a simple, two-phase process, one phase takes place at home, the other at select community events. At the local community event individuals will complete a brief survey, have their waist circumference measured, and provide a blood sample. At home, individuals will complete a more detailed survey regarding lifestyle, behavioral and other health-related factors.

For more information, including enrollment information, please visit www.cancer.org/cps3 or e-mail: cps3@cancer.org.

This is a chance for those in your life who have never been diagnosed with cancer to make a difference in the lives of others, helping to change the face of cancer. Please forward this message on to those you know who want to take up the fight!

Joel T Nowak MA, MSW