Barnabas Health Recruits Volunteers for Historic Cancer Study [AUDIO]

Barnabas Health has teamed up with the American Cancer Society (ACS) in recruiting volunteers for a nationwide Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3), which is looking for 300,000 people across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, who are cancer free.

The ACS says the study tracks volunteers for 20 to 30 years in hopes of better understanding the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that cause or prevent cancer.

Community Medical Center President and CEO Stephanie Bloom says signing up is very simple.

"All you have to do is go online. You complete an information survey about yourself, about your health and then you can show up at one of our events where that survey will be reviewed with a clinician. They'll take a very small sample of blood and then over time, the person who is signed up for the study will receive a written survey to update their health questionnaire."

According to a Barnabas press release, men and women who are willing to commit to the study must be between the ages of 30 and 65 and never have been diagnosed with cancer.

To enroll, individuals provide a waist measurement, give a small blood sample and complete a baseline and enrollment survey. Over the course of the study, participants will be asked to fill out follow-up surveys every few years for the next 20-30 years.

Bloom says it's not a very invasive study personally and takes about 30 minutes to complete.

"This one is a study that's going to look at what types of health strategies prevent cancer, whether that's weight or good eating and exercise habits. So the survey asks you those types of questions."

You can pre-register on the Barnabas Health website.  On the website is a large American Cancer Society logo that you select, which takes you to a survey on-line. After you complete the survey, it gives you a confirmation number that you take to one of the screening programs in June.

Screening sessions take place on June 11th at Community Medical Center in Tom River from 8 a.m. until 12 noon, June 12th at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., and June 13th at Kimball Medical Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Bloom says there is not a cure for cancer yet, but with studies like these, along with new medical breakthrough's, cancer is no longer the assumed death sentence it once was.

"We have seen such phenomenal growth in technology where it's Cyber-Knife, Radiation Therapy, Chemo Therapy, so people are living with cancer for now. We've learned out to treat cancer and have allowed people to live with the disease."

You can also get additional information here.