health

Interesting limited geographic sample size limitations to this one! For most residents outside of the twin cities, no sign up location is available without a loooong drive. My college sampling design prof. would NOT approve!

I am pretty sure they are not going to get their sample size anytime soon. Sounds like they got the whites covered. They need the other four categories?

tmrichardson, 300,000 is not at all a limited sample size in anyway, geographic or otherwise. Maybe you should talk to your sampling design prof or re-take the class. But what am I saying? I am sure you know so much more about cancer research than the American Cancer Society. I mean they have only funded the research linking smoking and obesity to cancer and funded 46 Nobel Prize winners. This is a nationwide study that has already been in progress for 6 years, locations in Minnesota include Relay For Life and other American Cancer Society events, healthcare systems, healthcare plans, corporations, government agencies, law enforcement, civic organizations communities of faith, non-profits, and wellness organizations, just to name a few. You would have known that if you went to the website. I mean, why be a hater? There are people doing something, literally giving their blood to help people. Why be a jerk and criticize something you know almost nothing about. You read 3 paragraphs and are now an expert? What you took from this story is in your opinion it’s not geographically diverse enough? Not “wow, 300,000 people are going to participate in cancer research for 20 years!” These people aren’t getting paid, they won’t directly benefits from the results, but they are doing it anyway because they care.

I don't care if Mother Theresa and Curtis Mayfield himself rise from the dead to lead this study superfly--if we are to diagnose cancer causes the sample design must do a good job of considering possible geographical influence. Perhaps it does in other states but not here? Can you not see that causes of cancer could differ greatly in a person who spends most of their life in a metropolitan area versus a very rural area? That some cancers may be directly tied to an urban life, with others tied to an rural or agricultural life? Sample size is just part of an adequate study design! Any long term study from which many conclusions that could be directly used to treat millions of people down the line HAS to get this right.

A couple of observations, the 300,000 participants desired is across the nation, not simply from the midwest. I'm not saying that the study shouldn't include more, but the way it's going it's a self selecting study in any case, and those are always fraught with problems. - Only 1/3 of the desired 300,000 participants have been enrolled. They have a target of 25% participation by minorities, or approximately 75,000 participants. That suggests that if they don't have any minority participants at this point they still need 125,000 participants who are not considered a minority. And if the study is already focused on cities, they very likely have a significant percentage of the 75,000 already. - So if you are interested in participating in the research, go and ask. Your participation may very well provide the information needed to help someone you love.