Tatiana Bittner takes a blood sample from Elk Lake teacher Megan Lincoln and volunteer for the Cancer Prevention Study-3 being conducted by the American Cancer Society. The study will follow about 100 participants between the ages of 30 and 65 who are currently cancer free, and will require them to do a short survey occasionally over the next 20-30 years. STAFF PHOTO/PAT FARNELLI
BY PAT FARNELLI
Fourth grade teacher Megan Stone Lincoln intends to stay alive.
After losing her mother to a lengthy battle with breast cancer, Lincoln is doing everything humanly possible to avoid succumbing to the deadly disease.
For that reason, Lincoln signed on as a participant in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study 3, which aims to track cancer free individuals for 20 to 30 years to help better understand how lifestyle, genetics and the environment affect cancer, and how we can better prevent the disease.
Lincoln, who teaches at Elk Lake, had elective mastectomies performed as a preventative measure, because she is a cancer victim’s daughter, and because she carries a gene which raises her risk for the disease.
A mother of four, she decided to have her breasts removed and reconstructed during her summer vacation from school.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned, and several more surgeries were necessary.
She has not been diagnosed with cancer.
Bonnie Morgan, a two time breast cancer survivor herself, is not eligible to participate in the study, but she attends the events to support the study.
Donna Conklin of Jackson Township was there to fill out a survey, provide a blood sample to be frozen for later research if needed, and to have a waist measurement taken. She said that her husband learned he has leukemia in 2008, and she would like to “help someone not find out that they have cancer- to prevent it. As a spouse, I hope that no one has to hear that news. I know how it feels, and I don’t want anyone to have to go through that experience.”
A line of Elk Lake employees waited to be processed, but declined being identified. They were glad for an opportunity to help advance cancer research, they said.
Ben and RuthAnn Landis attended Dairy Day because they intended to sign up for the study.
Ben Landis said when he heard the purposes for the study, it really got to him.
He said that their family had just lost a relative to cancer, and that the opportunity to do something to make a world with less cancer really touched his heart.
“It was something we could do,” his wife said with a smile.
Anyone wishing to enroll in the study can call 1(888)604-5888 or visit cancer.org/cps3.
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