. . Multiethnic Cohort Study ?
Loic Le Marchand , MD , PhD , speaks at the MEC event .
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After all these years , over 70 percent of all cohort members still fill out their questionnaires , demonstrating the participants ’ exceptionally high level of commitment to the study ,” said Le Marchand .
Biological specimens from cohort members ( mainly blood and urine samples ) were collected mostly in 2001-2006 . Samples on more than 70,000 cohort participants are being stored in special low temperature freezers in Hawai ‘ i and California . “ Dozens of investigators and close to a hundred trainees have used MEC study data and samples for their research ,” said Lynne Wilkens , DrPH , UH Cancer Center biostatistician and Co-Principal Investigator of the study .
For 25 years now the MEC Study has continued to fulfill its mission to make a significant contribution to the goal of correcting cancer health disparities and preventing cancer and other chronic diseases in all populations ,” said Randall Holcombe , MD , MBA , UH Cancer Center director . “ We are proud to lead a study with such significant impact at the UH Cancer Center . The MEC Study has gained national and international recognition among biomedical scientists , and is an example of the world-class research conducted at the University of Hawai ‘ i .”
The MEC Study has brought more than $ 150 million in federal research funding to the University of Hawai ‘ i . It has been funded since 1993 by the National Cancer Institute and is jointly conducted by the UH Cancer Center and the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California ( USC ) in Los Angeles .
The MEC Study data has resulted in more than 600 published scientific articles on topics including smoking , diet , alcohol , coffee , meat cooking methods , physical activity , hormones , reproductive factors , genetics , inflammation , infections , sleep , air pollution , gut microbes , obesity and diabetes . e
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Toshiko Ono , age 99 .
Toshiko worked as a registered nurse then as a public health nurse for the State of Hawai ‘ i , Department of Health . She retired about 34 years ago and continues to live at home in Kaimukī .
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING A PART OF THE MEC STUDY ?
I felt it kept my mind alert . I was happy to participate and flling out the questionnaires kept me very much alive . When you get to be close to 100 years old like me , you need to try to keep your mind active .
Whatever I could answer on the questionnaire , I would fll in the answers .
WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE ?
Now I would have a harder time doing it at my age because I have trouble remembering things . I would like to participate as much as I ’ m able to .
WHAT DO YOU HOPE COMES OUT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE STUDY ?
I don ’ t know what the results of the study were . But I ’ m happy to help if it will help others .
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