http://www.energeticcity.ca/fortstjohn/news/06/07/11/residents-required-major-cancer-research-project

Residents of Northern B.C. are being invited to participate in a major cancer prevention study.

The B.C. Cancer Agency’s B.C. Generations Project will be providing the opportunity for residents, age 35 to 69, to contribute to a study which could possibly benefit the future health of British Columbians.

The project is part of the largest health study of its kind in Canada and will explore how a variety of factors, including genetics, environment, lifestyle and behaviour contribute to our risk of developing cancer. The project will also explore other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

John Spinelli, a distinguished scientist for B.C. Cancer Agency and the B.C. Generations Project chief investigator, says all information gathered by participants will be completely anonymous and everything obtained through the study will contribute to future cancer studies.

The study is aiming to collect health information, along with blood and urine samples of 40,000 residents of the province.

Spinelli says “The B.C. Generations Project provides every Northern resident with the opportunity to take an active role in helping researchers better understand the lifestyle and genetic factors linked to cancer and chronic disease. This study is significant for the future health of our community.”

Residents can participate through a mail-in survey, or people living close to the Prince George assessment clinic, can drop by in person from June 7 to July 9. The temporary clinic is located at 1777 third Ave, Suite 300.

For more information on the study or how to get involved, please contact 604-675-8221, or call toll free 1-877-675-8221. Information can also be gained via email at bcgenerationsproject@bccrc.ca or by visiting their official website.

Project participant LaDonna Fehr (at left) gets her blood pressure measured by June Song, research project assistant with BC Generation Project. LaDonna is the Director of Clinical Operations - Systemic Therapy for the new BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North currently under construction in Prince George.

Prince George, B.C. –   Prince George is now home to a BC Cancer Agency’s BC Generations Project clinic. It opened its doors this morning and is open to anyone aged 35 – 69 who would like to take part in this study.

This is the largest cancer prevention study in Canadian History and will look at how factors such as genetics, environment, lifestyle and behaviour contrtibute to the risk of developing cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

BC Generations Project principal investigator John Spinelli says every participant’s anonymous information will contribute to cancer studies for decades to come.   ”You have the opportunity to reduce the occurrence of cancer and chronic diseases in the future. All that’s required is that you are between 35 and 69 years old and live in B.C.,” he says. “It’s a huge opportunity for our generation to do something for future generations.”

The study aims to collect health information, along with blood and urine samples, of 40,000 British Columbians, as part of a national study called the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project that is recruiting 300,000 Canadians from five provinces.

“Most everyone has been impacted by cancer, whether themselves, their family, or a friend,” says LaDonna Fehr, director of clinical operations-systemic therapy, BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the North, and Prince George resident.

“Working with cancer patients over the years, I have watched as they and their family members anguish with feelings of powerlessness in the face of a cancer diagnosis. The BC Generations Project assessment clinic provides every Prince George resident with the opportunity to take an active role in helping researchers better understand the lifestyle and genetic factors linked to cancer and chronic disease. This study is significant for the future health of our community. I encourage you to learn more about how you can take part while the assessment clinic is in town.”

Northerners can participate in the study through a mail-in survey, or, for residents living in or close to Prince George, the assessment clinic will run from June 7 to July 9. The temporary clinic is located at 1777 Third Ave, Suite 300.

You can find more information on the project by visiting bcgenerationsproject@bccrc.ca or www.bcgenerationsproject.ca

The BC Generations Project is part of the largest health study of its kind in Canada, exploring how genetics, environment, lifestyle and behaviour contribute to our risk of developing cancer, as well as other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

BC Cancer Agency’s distinguished scientist and BC Generations Project principal investigator John Spinelli explains that every participant’s anonymous information will contribute to cancer studies for decades to come.

“You have the opportunity to reduce the occurrence of cancer and chronic diseases in the future. All that’s required is that you are between 35 and 69 years old and live in B.C.,” he says. “It’s a huge opportunity for our generation to do something for future generations.”

The study aims to collect health information, along with blood and urine samples, of 40,000 British Columbians, as part of a national study called the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project that is recruiting 300,000 Canadians from five provinces.

“Most everyone has been impacted by cancer, whether themselves, their family, or a friend,” says LaDonna Fehr, director of clinical operations-systemic therapy, BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the North, and first study participant at the Prince George clinic.

“Working with cancer patients over the years, I have watched as they and their family members anguish with feelings of powerlessness in the face of a cancer diagnosis. The BC Generations Project provides every Northern resident with the opportunity to take an active role in helping researchers better understand the lifestyle and genetic factors linked to cancer and chronic disease. This study is significant for the future health of our community. I encourage you to learn more about how you can take part while the assessment clinic is in town.”

Northerners can participate in the study through a mail-in survey, or, for residents living in or close to Prince George an assessment clinic will run from June 7 to July 9. This temporary clinic is being generously funded through the BC Cancer Foundation and is located at 1777 Third Ave, Suite 300, in Prince George.

For more information about the study and how to get involved, please contact:

604-675-8221
Toll Free 1-877-675-8221
bcgenerationsproject@bccrc.ca
www.bcgenerationsproject.ca
© 2011 Dawson Creek Daily News

The BC Generations Project clinic is located in the Westbank Valley Medical Lab and will be open until February 12, 2011. For more information about the study and how to get involved, please call: toll free: 1-877-675-8221; email:  bcgenerationsproject@bccrc.ca or visit online at: www.bcgenerationsproject.ca

We’re still accepting new participants! Our Kelowna clinic will run at the Westbank Valley Medical Lab at 2427 Main Street until February 5, 2011. After that, we’ll be re-opening our Vancouver clinic to serve participants in Metro Vancouver. To request an appointment at either location, please send an email to bcgenerationsproject@bccrc.ca or call 1-877-675-8221.

Also this week the Canadian Medical Association Journal issued a news release to announce the publication of our paper, describing the national study (Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow), of which we are a part.  This paper describes how the regions worked together to bring about the building of this resource for health research, and what progress has been made to date.

We’ve been thrilled by the huge response from those who wish to join the Project, which prompted us to keep our clinic open two weeks longer than originally planned. We are gratified by British Columbians’ clear commitment to the health of future generations.

As part of the research process, all the centres involved in this national cancer project continually refine their methods for more cost-effectively and efficiently increasing participation within current funding. As a result, we’ve developed a simplified process for all British Columbians to join the Project, no matter where they live. Our goal remains to attract 40,000 people from across BC by 2012.

Starting late February, British Columbians will join the BC Generations Project without an assessment visit. Instead, they’ll complete a questionnaire by mail or online, and visit a local laboratory to provide blood and urine samples. For now, we’re suspending the collection of data such as blood pressure, lung function and grip strength as part of our intake procedure. This information can be collected later during follow up, and won’t affect our ability to use the information and specimens for research.

The changes we’re making to the BC Generations Project will also be made at our four partner centres, all part of the national Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow. This ensures we can conduct large scale health studies that use a consistent set of data.

As always, we hope you’ll consider joining the BC Generations Project, and that you’ll encourage your friends to sign up too.

And if you can’t attend our assessment clinic this time around, don’t worry. We’ll be back in the Fraser Valley soon.