The American Cancer Society is recruiting more than 300,000 people across the nation to take part in a historic cancer prevention study known as cps3. Men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer are needed for the study.

Kari Dahlstrom, Communication Manager for the American Cancer Society, Kari Dahlstrom says participation is easy and doesn't require a lot of time.

 “They fill out a survey, they have their waist measured and they give a small blood sample.  Over the course of the next 20 to 30 years, they will receive a survey in the mail every couple of years that they fill out and mail back,” says Dahlstrom.

“We are looking for about 900 people in the Triad area and about 7,000 people in N.C. so our area will bring a lot of people to the study,” Dahlstrom added.

Today in the United States, there are more than 12-million people who are cancer survivors. Dahlstrom says that number is growing because cancer is often detected earlier and doctors are able to provide better treatments.

In North Carolina, about 52,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year.

“What they are looking for is different things in your lifestyle, and your behaviors and your environment that by looking at so many people across the nation they can find something that they can hone in on. These types of studies in the past were the ones that linked smoking to cancer and obesity to cancer,” says Dahlstrom.

The American Cancer Society says Triad residents can make an appointment online at for the community enrollment to be held Feb. 8-16 at the following locations:

• Winston-Salem First Assembly Church, 3730 University Parkway, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Feb. 9.

• Rushwood Park Wesleyan Church, 1810 Old Farmer Road, Asheboro, 8-11:30 a.m. Feb. 8 and 3-6:30 p.m. Feb. 12.

• Calvary Baptist Church, 5000 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, 8-11:30 a.m. Feb. 15 and 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 16.

• American Cancer Society Office, 4A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, 4-7:30 p.m. Feb. 12, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Feb. 13, 2-5:30 p.m. Feb. 14 and 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 16.