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(NC)—Kathy Giles has never had cancer, but is deeply touched by it. Both of her children were diagnosed with cancer in their 30s and her dad died of cancer at age 64.
Thanks to early detection and aggressive treatment, Giles' son and daughter both survived, and the experience ignited in their mom a passion for preventing the disease in her five grandchildren and future generations of Canadians.
“We're all in it together,” says Giles, 59, a secretary who lives beside the St. John river outside Fredericton. “We've all been touched by cancer.”
Giles is participating in a groundbreaking new study designed to find out how lifestyle, the environment and genetics contribute to people's risk of developing cancer and other chronic diseases. “We need to know more about what is causing cancer and why. We all know tobacco is bad; we know we need to eat healthier. We know we need to get screened regularly. Is that enough? There is still a lot to know,” she says.
The study is called Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow's Health (or Atlantic PATH for short). Atlantic PATH is part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, the largest study of its kind ever undertaken in this country. The national study will track the health of up to 300,000 people in five regions: Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia.
This wealth of data, gathered over the decades, will reveal critical patterns among people who develop cancer and other chronic diseases such as, diabetes and cardiovascular disease—Where do they live? Where do they work? What are they exposed to? What do they eat? How much do they exercise? How do diseases run in families?
Once scientists better understand the factors that elevate risk of disease, they can identify people who are susceptible and develop new tools to diagnose disease earlier. Public health practitioners and decision-makers will use these results to better design prevention programs. “We are taking all that complexity of information to better understand the individual and collective risk of disease and develop policy to reduce those risks,” says Dr. Louise Parker, the principal investigator for Atlantic PATH and an enthusiastic participant in the study. “We are building a legacy project. It is a great privilege for all involved.”
Solving the mysteries of cancer is especially crucial here because Atlantic Canada has the highest rates of cancer in the country, says Dr. Parker. “One in two of our sons and one in three of our daughters will develop cancer in their lifetime. We want to provide a better world for them in the future,” she says.
Giles says participating in the study took her less than two hours. She has also become a workplace champion, which means she recruits others where she works. “I really believe in what they're doing and want to promote it as much as I can,” she says in a phone interview. “This is a way for all of us to give back.”
The study is funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, with in-kind support from Dalhousie University, The New Brunswick Cancer Network, Cancer Care Nova Scotia and others.
Participating is easy
Atlantic PATH (www.atlanticpath.ca) is now recruiting participants between age 35 and 69 in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI. It will move on to Newfoundland soon, aiming for a total of 30,000 people from the Atlantic provinces.
Participants can complete the study questionnaire on line at www.pathsurvey.ca , or receive a PATH Pack which includes:
• information about the study;
• a consent form;
• a questionnaire about lifestyle, environment and family's health history;
• a tape measure to measure height and waist circumference, and nail clippers;
• detailed instructions on how to obtain a tiny blood sample, though this is optional.
For more information and to participate go to: www.atlanticpath.ca.
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