If you are the parent of a current or past Framingham student , your family has had the opportunity to participate in a community study that aims to stop skin cancer before it starts - not only for your child, but for millions of other children. And your child has received the most up to date skin check possible in school.
Our Framingham SONIC students have either completed the study last year, or or now finishing up their study activities in grade 11.
Next year, we will finish the final group of 11th graders, and that will complete all study activities for this current grant cycle.
NEWS! Parents and children have completed surveys on family sun protection practices, and students have received photographic examination of skin for moles. We are adding a gene collection activity to the study that consists of testing for particular genes that are importatnt in teh way the skin reacts to sunlight. We would like to see if the presence of thsee genes is associated with more moles, or marks on the skin.
Participating families will be receiving a consent form, and are requested to consider this important and helpful addition to the considerable information that has been collected.
As always, please contact Marilyn Bishop for questions or considerations.
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Last year we completed two small additional studies. More information on these studies are on our What's New page.
More than 600 Framingham families have participated. Their support has enabled us to carry on our town's strong tradition of contributing to landmark research like the famous Framingham Heart Study.
Students who have participated in the study, and who are applying to colleges, should refer to their participation in SONIC on their college application as a community service, and note their long term participation.
January, 2012 SONIC Study on CNN Health
Stephen Dusza, of the SONIC team is an epidemiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and was recently interviewed by CNN about the latest SONIC article that is published in Pediatrics, February 2012 issue. Here's the article
Check out our What's New page for the latest on SONIC!
Frequently Asked Questions about SONIC
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