Marshfield Clinic Actively Recruiting in the Merrill Area for Connect for Cancer Prevention Study

Monday, June 16th, 2025 -- 8:01 AM

Marshfield Clinic is actively recruiting in the Merrill area for participants to join the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Connect for Cancer Prevention Study (Connect).

NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health. Connect is designed to explore the causes of cancer and learn more about how to prevent it. Marshfield Clinic is one of several health care systems across the country participating in this cutting-edge research.

Together, these health care systems and the NCI seek to recruit 200,000 eligible adults to participate in the study. As of June 1, Marshfield Clinic has enrolled more than 5,000 participants in Connect.

Marshfield Clinic is offering a special opportunity to patients in the Merrill area and will host upcoming Connect enrollment sessions 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 24-25 and July 30-31at Marshfield Clinic Merrill Center, 1205 O’Day St.

During enrollment sessions, patients can sign up for Connect and donate their first samples for the study. Current participants who haven’t yet donated samples for Connect are also welcome to stop by to do so. The team looks forward to meeting patients interested in learning more about the study and saying hello to current participants.

“Marshfield Clinic aims to recruit 11,000 patients who are between the ages of 30 and 70 and have no personal history of cancer to participate in this important study,” said Robert Greenlee, Ph.D., M.P.H., the Connect principal investigator and senior research scientist at Marshfield Clinic Research Institute.

“The burden of cancer on our communities and families remains very high. Connect will create a platform of research for years to come that we expect will reduce this burden by uncovering ways to prevent cancer, detect it earlier when it’s more treatable, and improve the health of cancer survivors.”

Marshfield Clinic has seven regular centers for patients to join Connect and donate samples for the study in Marshfield, Lake Hallie, Weston, Wisconsin Rapids, Rice Lake, Stevens Point and Minocqua. Enrollment sessions at other Marshfield Clinic locations will be scheduled periodically.

Connect is a long-term scientific endeavor. It takes time to observe and understand the causes and natural history of cancer, so participants are asked to take part in Connect for many years.

They will be asked to complete online health surveys a few times a year and to donate samples of blood, urine, and saliva every two to three years. Safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place to protect participants’ data and biological samples.

“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. While much progress in treatments has been made, the number of people who will develop cancer is expected to rise in the next 10 years as the population ages and lifestyles and behaviors change,” said Stephen J. Chanock, M.D., Director of NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG).

“Connect will identify novel and emerging exposures that may affect cancer risk and improve our ability to predict cancer. The goal of this study is to change the future of cancer prevention.”

Through Connect, researchers hope to identify factors that could affect cancer risk and other health outcomes. These findings have the potential to influence public health and cancer prevention guidance for years to come.

Participants in Connect will be a part of a community of people from different backgrounds to ensure everyone can benefit from the discoveries and learn about cancer prevention along the way.

To learn more about Connect, visit cancer.gov/connectstudy.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.