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April 9th, 2009
MARGARET J.WESTON
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS RECEIVES CANCER STUDY GRANT
Margaret J. Weston Community Health Centers has received a $90,000
grant to participate in the Southern Regional Cohort Study. The
study is currently being conducted in the twelve southern states of
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and
West Virginia. This study is the first of its kind in the southern
US, and is expected to be one of the largest health studies of
African Americans ever conducted.
The Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), funded by the National
Cancer Institute, will recruit about 60,000 African-American and
30,000 non-African-American residents of the southern United States
. A cohort study is a research study whereby a group of persons is
enrolled and then followed over time for the subsequent occurrence
of cancer or other diseases. Information on the characteristics of
the participants is obtained at enrollment, usually by
questionnaire. Health outcomes will be monitored in two ways:
through repeat surveys by phone and mail, and use of state cancer
registries and the National Death Index to check the status of the
study group.
"Cancer is the leading cause of death among Americans aged 40-79,"
said Dr. James L.l Coleman, CEO of Margaret J. Weston Community
Health Centers. "African-Americans experience higher rates of many
types of cancer than other Americans for reasons that remain
unknown." The Southern Regional Cohort Study reports that this is
because diseases disproportionately affecting minorities have been
studied in populations that under-represent those minorities. There
are important gaps in population-based cancer research, and
Vanderbilt University, Meharry Medical College, and the
International Epidemiology Institute have teamed up to fill these
gaps.
Participation is fully voluntary. Each participant signs consent
form that explains the study, what is expected if they enroll, and
what their risks, benefits and rights are. Participation involves a
50 minute survey, face-to-face in the community health center, or in
paper form for the general population sample. The survey covers
several aspects of health & lifestyle, including diet, tobacco use,
exercise, and personal and family medical histories. Participants
are also asked to donate a blood, buccal (mouth), and/or urine
sample (the type of sample depending on whether they were recruited
in a health center or by mail). An important part of participation
is the willingness to be contacted by the study staff periodically
in the future, answering shorter follow-up questionnaires.
The SCCS holds the promise of explaining disparities in common and
rare cancers and, through the information gained, help in preventing
cancer occurrence for all people. Risk factors for other common and
serious diseases (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension)
will be studied as well. The differences in health outcomes in the
South compared to the rest of the nation, and in urban versus rural
areas, will also be investigated. More information about the study
can be obtained from www.southerncommunitystudy.org or by calling
Margaret J. Weston Community Health Centers.
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