A record number of people are signing up for what Albany Medical Center is calling a historic opportunity to fight cancer. Erin Connolly has the details.

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ALBANY, N.Y. -- Pastor Brenda Traynham, a study volunteer, said, ''This past July I had a brother to pass from lung cancer.''

Pamela Sawchuk Brown, the community development Vice President at Albany Medical Center, said, ''My father and my younger sister died of cancer very young.''

Diana Martin, the Regional Vice President of the American Cancer Society, said, ''I lost my father to brain cancer when I was four years old."

Unfortunately, at some point in our lives, cancer touches most of us in one way or another.
But Thursday, people from all over the Capital Region came together so we can learn more about the disease. Breaking a national record, nearly 800 people made their way to the Hilton Garden Inn at Albany Medical Center to enroll in the landmark "Cancer Prevention Study-3."

Martin said, ''When you think about that simple sacrifice on the part of one person these studies help us to identify how to cure cancer and how to prevent it.''

The 20-year study by the American Cancer Society will look at various lifestyle, environmental or genetic factors that may contribute to cancer. As a volunteer you'll be asked to fill out a consent form and a fe w surveys, provide physical measurements and give a small blood sample.

Sawchuk Brown said, ''We all feel helpless and somehow someway we all want to help and the American Cancer Society has given us that opportunity and we've taken hold of it.''

And to be eligible to participate, you must be between 30 and 65 years old, have not had cancer, and be willing to complete periodic surveys at home

Valerie Daloia, a study volunteer, said, ''There's so many people that are affected in some capacity of cancer these days that if I can cut help down the number of cases, I'm happy.''

And health officials say they expect a total of 1,200 people to enroll at three sites over the next four days.

Martin said, ''I would say participating in this study is the single most empowering thing I have done to fight cancer.''

Pastor Traynham said, ''Just give of your time. It will help someone else. It will probably help someone in your own family, if not yourself.''

Volunteering today for a cancer-free tomorrow.