More than 14,000 Volunteers Help Shape the Future of Cancer Prevention

• Henry Ford Health has enrolled more than 14,000 participants in the Connect for Cancer Prevention Study, ranking third nationally among participating health systems.
• Connect recently surpassed 100,000 participants nationwide and is designed to advance cancer prevention and precision medicine research.
• Michigan participants are helping create a long-term research resource for future cancer discoveries.

DETROIT - More than 14,000 people enrolled through Henry Ford Health are helping researchers learn why cancer develops and how it may be prevented by participating in the National Cancer Institute's Connect for Cancer Prevention Study. Their involvement has made Henry Ford Health the third-leading enrollment site among participating health systems nationwide.

The achievement comes as Connect surpasses 100,000 participants nationally, marking the halfway point toward its goal of enrolling 200,000 people across the United States. Recruitment for the study began in late 2021.

Connect is one of the nation's largest cancer prevention research efforts, following adults with no history of cancer to better understand why cancer develops and how it may be prevented. The study is enrolling people between the ages of 30 and 70 years old.

Participants complete health surveys, provide access to medical records, and contribute blood, urine and saliva samples collected over time. Researchers use these data to examine how genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and other factors influence cancer risk.

Unlike many studies focused on a single disease or treatment, Connect was designed as a long-term scientific resource. By combining electronic health records, survey responses and biospecimens, researchers can investigate cancer causes, prevention strategies and opportunities for earlier detection.

"Participation in studies like Connect is essential to accelerating progress in cancer prevention, detection and treatment for future generations," said Steven Kalkanis, M.D., Executive Vice President of Henry Ford Health, CEO of Henry Ford Hospital and CEO of the Henry Ford Medical Group. "Through our partnership with the National Cancer Institute, Henry Ford Health is helping build a research resource that will drive cancer prevention and early detection discoveries for decades to come."

Participants from across southeast Michigan have played a critical role in helping Connect reach its national enrollment milestone. Their involvement helps ensure the study includes perspectives from a region with substantial racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic diversity, including African American, Arab American, rural and urban communities.

As many participants return for additional biospecimen collection and follow-up activities, they will continue strengthening the study's long-term value and expanding the dataset available to researchers.

"A study of this scale is most valuable when the participants reflect the people in the population the researchers ultimately hope will benefit from the study results," said Benjamin A. Rybicki, Ph.D., Associate Director of Research for Henry Ford Cancer and Henry Ford Health's lead investigator for the Connect for Cancer Prevention Study. "The individuals who have enrolled through Henry Ford Health closely mirror the demographic makeup of Southeast Michigan, giving researchers the opportunity to better understand cancer risk and prevention across many different populations. Their continued contribution of data and biospecimens will support new discoveries for years to come."

Henry Ford Health also leads a three-health system consortium that includes HealthPartners in Minneapolis and Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin that together has enrolled more than 40,000 study participants. The work reflects Henry Ford Health's broader commitment to advancing cancer research through the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences partnership and the Henry Ford + MSU Cancer Center, which support research, education and innovation aimed at improving cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

People interested in learning more about the Connect for Cancer Prevention Study can visit cancer.gov/connectstudy.

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