Arlington Martin High School student Taylor Helland was 14 years old when her severe abdominal pains mystified doctors. When she was eventually diagnosed with colon cancer, she was told again and again that her type of cancer is rare in children.

But the disease found her anyway.

Taylor twice fought its aggressive spread with chemotherapy and invasive surgery, disrupting what should have been typical high school years. Her battle also underscored a simple truth: cancer doesn't discriminate.

Now 17 and planning to attend college next year, Taylor calls herself a survivor. She also is speaking out about her experience to encourage people to take part in a landmark cancer-prevention effort.

Taylor joined Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, and officials from Tarrant County College and the American Cancer Society in Fort Worth on Wednesday to promote the organization's Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) that could provide long-term clues into the lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors that cause cancer.

The kick-off event was designed to inform the public and seek men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer to participate in the free, voluntary study.

Researchers are seeking a diverse population of 300,000 people across the United States and Puerto Rico. Almost 276,000 people already have signed up for the effort prior to the Tarrant County push.

"We don't have a preconceived idea of what we'll find out," said Joy Donovan Brandon, an American Cancer Society spokeswoman. "We're looking for patterns."

The American Cancer Society, which recently celebrated its 100^th anniversary, has conducted some of the world's largest research studies to understand how cancer develops in a population, to identify the causes and to ultimately learn how to prevent it.

Previous Cancer Prevention Studies have played a major role in understanding cancer prevention and risk, confirming the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, demonstrating the connection between larger waist size and increased cancer death rates and showing the impact of air pollution on heart and lung conditions.

"There are still a lot of people who don't pay attention to what is happening to their bodies," Cluck said. "Those who volunteered for these (prior) studies are heroes."

To enroll in the study, individuals must first schedule an appointment online at www.cancerstudyTX.org or call 1-888-604-5888. A link will be provided to complete an online survey.

Tarrant County College is making its five campuses available for the in-person appointments, which take 25-30 minutes. Participants will be asked to read and sign a consent form, have a waist circumference taken and give a small blood sample. The Society will send periodic follow-up surveys every 2-3 years for more than 20 years to update information.

The appointments will be held from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the following TCC campus locations:

• Oct. 29, Southeast Campus
  • Oct. 30, Northwest Campus
  • Oct. 31, Northeast Campus
  • Nov. 5, South Campus
  • Nov. 7, Trinity River Campus

For more information visit cancer.org/cps3, or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.