When Ohio State cancer researchers Judith Westman and Amy Ferketich first began studying a large sect of Ohio Amish, they theorized they would find higher incidence rates of cancer. That’s because Amish religious beliefs and traditions limit contact with mainstream society, and intermarriage within this relatively small population could increase the incidence of cancer-related gene mutations. Instead, they found just the opposite. The study of Amish suggests that clean living can lead to healthier life. Drs. Ferketich and Westman argue that though the Amish are at an increased risk for a number of genetic disorders, they may be protected against many types of cancer both through their lifestyle – there is very little tobacco or alcohol use and limited sexual partners – and through genes that may reduce their susceptibility to cancer. The findings were reported in a recent issue of the journal Cancer Causes & Control. The study, which spanned 1996-2003 and is the first of its kind, looked at the incidence of 24 types of cancer in the Amish population.