ABC 12 – WJRT – Flint, MICancer survey could save lives

(02/10/12) - Giving up about 2.5 hours of your life could help put an end to cancer! Your answers to a simple survey may help prevent this killer.

The American Cancer Society launched a new phase of their national cancer prevention study, called CPS-3, in Flint Friday. If you have ever felt helpless watching a loved one fight cancer, some study participants say this can be very empowering.

"I was angry and the minister told me I can't be angry at God, I have to be angry at cancer," Gayla DeLong told me, holding back tears.

Gayla waged war against cancer after the disease claimed her baby granddaughter, Shelby Lopez. "When she was four-and-half months old, she was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer and she fought for six weeks, and she passed away at six months old. And, she fought."

Gayla is among thousands who are already signed up for this study. Every other year, for 20 years, participants will fill out a survey from the American Cancer Society.

"It's a very simple process to participate yourself. It's a simple appointment," says Alicia Gardner, an oncology nurse, and a volunteer chair helping with the study.

"A very short enrollment process, 20 minutes worth of information on a surgery, a small blood sample and an enrollment. And then over the next 20 years, honestly, two years of your entire lifetime will be spent on participation," Gardner explains.

While the process is simple, getting enough volunteers is not always easy. The data collected is hoped to help the American Cancer Society understand what causes and prevents cancer.

"It's very difficult to get people to enroll and to understand the vast impact we are going to make with this study and the results from it," Gardner says.

For Gayla DeLong, the choice to participate was simple. "Two and a half hours out of the next 20 years of my life, and it may just save another child's life, or a grandchild's life, or my sister's life, whatever. It's something I have to do."

The Genesee County kickoff was Friday, but you can still enroll online at  www.cancer.org/cps3 . You can also call the local American Cancer Society chapter at 810-733-3703 in Genesee County.

There will be a kickoff for the Great Lakes Bay Region next Thursday morning at the new Dow Bay Area Family Y, 225 Washington Ave., Bay City. Registration and light breakfast at 7 a.m. with the 1-hour program to begin at 7:30 a.m. To RSVP for the kick off, please call  989-895-1731 in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

To participate, you must be between the ages of 30 and 65. If you have already had or have cancer, you are not eligible to participate, but you can certainly be a volunteer to help out.

Whether you are a cancer survivor, caregiver or are interested in honoring a friend or loved one who has battled cancer, you are invited to serve as a CPS-3 champion. For more information about CPS-3, visit www.cancer.org/cps3 or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.