The National Cancer Institute is the US government's primary agency for cancer research and for educating the public about cancer, its causes, and ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer.
Strengths: Information on this Web site is comprehensive, up-to-date, and reviewed by cancer specialists. Presented in both English and Spanish, the site includes information about many cancer types that cannot be found on other Web sites. The patient version of the material is easy to understand, and the site also provides definitions of unfamiliar terms.
Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation @ National Cancer Institute
This Q&A from the National Cancer Institute provides helpful answers to basic questions about bone marrow and stem cell transplants and their role in cancer treatment. Questions range from what are transplants and why are they used to treat cancer, to how donor cells are matched and how marrow is harvested for transplant. There also is information about the potential risks and complications associated with transplants. This Q&A is an excellent, concise source of information for those considering a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.
The National Cancer Institute's authoritative Web site offers the latest information about cancer and its treatment. Here, you will find comprehensive information for more than 150 types of cancer, from the most common to the very rare. For each cancer type, there is information about causes, treatment, screening, and testing. For the more common cancers, such as breast, colon, lung, prostate, and others, the site provides summaries of recent clinical trial results. Information for each type of cancer is presented in two formats -- for patients and for health professionals -- in both English and Spanish. The patient version, written in lay language, may be especially useful for those newly diagnosed with cancer. Patients who have become more familiar with cancer, or those with a medical background, may prefer the more comprehensive and extensively referenced professional version.
The information on the site is updated regularly. Within each cancer, there are links to related topics. You can also find fact sheets about Cancer Staging and Tumor Grade, both of which affect cancer treatment choices and a patient's prognosis. The site includes information about newly approved cancer treatments, cancer statistics, and a dictionary of more than 4,000 cancer-related terms with easy-to-understand definitions.
Childhood Cancers (Cancer.gov) @ National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) provides comprehensive treatment information for more than 25 different childhood cancers, including those that are extremely rare. This information is gleaned from NCI's comprehensive cancer database, PDQ. It contains peer-reviewed summaries of the latest information about childhood cancer treatments, including an overview of each type of childhood cancer, symptoms, risk factors, diagnostic tests, and survival statistics. Information on treatment options is reviewed regularly by editorial boards comprised of cancer specialists, and changes are made as new information becomes available. Many of the summaries are also available in Spanish. The summaries are available in two formats -- for patients and for health professionals. The version for health professionals is more comprehensive and suited for those who are versed in cancer literature. This version provides detailed information on prognosis, staging, and treatment for each cancer type and refers to key citations in the medical literature that link to published abstracts.
Clinical Trials Database @ National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute's Clinical Trials database includes thousands of records of clinical trials that are actively recruiting patients. These include trials for cancer treatment, genetics, diagnosis, supportive care, screening, and prevention.You can search to locate clinical trials by type of cancer, stage of disease, type of treatment, location of trial, drug name, or a combination of these and other variables.You can also search using a more detailed form; both forms have help functions. The advanced search form allows you to do a more focused search, including trial phase, stage or subtype of cancer, protocol ID, hospital or institution, sponsor, trial investigators, and more.
This section also includes summaries that highlight recently released results from cancer clinical trials. The findings cited are significant enough that they are likely to influence patients' medical care. There are also helpful educational materials about clinical trials: how they work, why they're useful, patient care costs, and more.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine @ National Cancer Institute
This information from the National Cancer Institute includes a Q&A on complementary and alternative medicine and descriptions of herbal and other alternative medicines. While this list is not extensive, each medicine listed includes a short overview that is cross-referenced with the more detailed Q&A section, including glossary definitions in pop-up windows for underlined words. There is also information about preclinical and clinical studies of each alternative medicine and adverse effects of these medicines. The summaries are provided in two formats -- for patients and for health professionals. The health professional version includes a Levels of Evidence section that indicates its proven effectiveness in humans. You can also find links to other US government resources for complementary and alternative therapies.
Coping with Advanced Cancer @ National Cancer Institute
Patients facing terminal cancer often experience a range of emotions. This section of the National Cancer Institute's Web site offers information about choices for end-of-life care for adult cancer patients. It provides resources for emotional support, such as how to talk to loved ones. It also contains practical resources, such as a Personal Affairs Worksheet, which patients can use to inventory their bank accounts, insurance, pension, mortgage, and credit card contact information for their families. The site is based on the most current information available and on interviews with patients, their families, and their caregivers.
The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Web site includes peer-reviewed summaries from NCI's comprehensive cancer database (PDQ) about managing cancer-related side effects and complications, including fatigue, pain, sleep disorders, nausea, and vomiting. The information in the summaries is based on new research advances, and it is reviewed regularly by editorial boards comprised of cancer specialists. The date on each summary indicates the dates it was posted, and last updated. The summaries are available in two formats -- for patients and for health professionals. (Many of the summaries are also available in Spanish.) You may want to begin with the patient version, but the health professional version is more comprehensive and suitable for those more familiar with cancer. The health professional version also refers to key citations in the medical literature that link to published medical journal abstracts.
Drug Information Summaries @ National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute's Web site offers consumer-friendly information about certain drugs that are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat cancer or conditions related to cancer. For each drug, there is information about the type of cancer the drug has been approved to treat, the way the drug works, its safety and effectiveness, dosage, and adverse side effects. This section is an excellent resource for patients who want to find information about the newest cancer therapies available. There are links to the complete product labels and full prescribing information, and to the FDA's Patient Information Sheet, lay language summaries of important information about the drugs.
The National Cancer Institute's Web site offers detailed information about emotional concerns related to cancer diagnosis and treatment, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and issues of spirituality.
Understanding what follow-up care involves can help patients and their loved ones plan for the future. The National Cancer Institute's Web site includes a Q&A on Follow-up Care that is geared to patients who have finished active treatment and are now preparing for the future.
Here you will find information about what follow-up care entails and why it is important. There is also a list of questions to ask your doctor about your follow-up care, such as how often to have routine checkups and what symptoms to watch for. There is information about what medical records you need to keep and a list of online resources that provide follow-up care guidelines for specific cancers.
How to Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility @ National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute's fact sheet, How to Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility if You Have Cancer, offers helpful suggestions for finding: 1) an oncologist (a doctor who treats cancer), 2) a facility where cancer patients can receive treatment, and 3) a second opinion. Included is a list of questions to help you decide whether a particular doctor is appropriate for your needs. If you will need surgery, there is a list of questions to ask the surgeons you are considering for your care. A separate list of questions can help you evaluate which treatment facilities are best suited to your needs. There are resources for finding a treatment facility if you live overseas, as well as information and resources about how to get a second opinion about your diagnosis and treatment plan.
Life After Cancer Treatment @ National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute Web site features helpful resources for cancer survivors and their families as they face the challenges of life after cancer treatment. Here you will find a wealth of information for cancer survivors who have recently completed their cancer treatment.
There is information about:
Getting Medical Care After Cancer Treatment
Professional Support Services
Developing a Wellness Plan
Your Social and Work Relationships
How to Manage Physical Changes
There is also a list of questions to ask your doctor to help you develop a follow-up plan, such as how often you need routine checkups and what symptoms to watch for. You will also find information about what medical records you need to keep.
Live, one-on-one, secure online help with answers to your questions about cancer or about the National Cancer Institute's Web site is available Monday to Friday, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM, eastern time. LiveHelp connects you anonymously with information specialists who you chat with by typing on the computer. The LiveHelp specialists are not healthcare providers and they do not provide medical advice. But they do provide answers to general questions about cancer and its treatment, and they are very familiar with the broad range of cancer information available at the NCI. There is also a LiveHelp specifically for smoking cessation. Through LiveHelp you can also order free cancer publications or find out about clinical trials. Cancer information is available by phone through the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 800-4-CANCER (800-422-6237). You can call Monday to Friday, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM local time to talk with a cancer information specialist.
National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers @ National Cancer Institute
Certain institutions are designated "cancer centers" by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI confers this designation after a rigorous review process that focuses on the institution's research programs. Centers with particularly broad research programs are designated "comprehensive cancer centers;" others that have more focused research programs in association with clinical care services are termed "clinical" cancer centers. Institutions carrying either of these NCI designations generally have strong programs in clinical care.
The NCI Web site provides a searchable database, organized by state and U.S. territories, that returns a list of these cancer centers along with links to their Web sites and contact information for each institution. You can also view the same centers in Spanish (although there is no search functionality, the centers are organized in a list by state).
Physical Sciences in Oncology @ National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is exploring new and innovative approaches to better understand and control cancer through initiatives that enable the convergence of the physical sciences with cancer biology. Building on stunning progress in the molecular sciences and advanced technologies, we envision the development of new fields of study based on the application of physical sciences approaches to address major questions and barriers in cancer research.
Questions to Ask About a Clinical Trials Web Site @ National Cancer Institute
Dozens of Web sites now exist to help people with cancer or other diseases more easily locate and be matched with clinical trials. But how do you know which are reputable? This section of the National Cancer Institute Web site is devoted to helping you evaluate them. The National Cancer Institute has developed a list of questions that you may want to consider when you visit clinical trials Web sites, pertaining to the different types of clinical trials, who sponsors them, participant protection, eligibility criteria, risks/benefits, insurance and payment information, and informed consent. Answering these questions can help you understand the possible biases and limitations of clinical trials information provided by particular Web sites.
Sexuality and Reproductive Issues @ National Cancer Institute
Cancer and its treatment often have an impact on patients' sexuality, affecting both their sexual desire and, in some cases, sexual function. In some patients, sexual problems may be temporary, while in others their effects can be long-lasting. The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Web site provides peer-reviewed summaries of information about the sexual-related side effects of cancer treatment. Here, you will find information about some of the common sexual changes that occur during and after cancer treatment, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. You can also learn about how sexual problems are assessed and treated in cancer patients, as well as how cancer treatment may affect fertility. These summaries are available in two formats -- for patients and for health professionals -- and in Spanish. You may want to begin with the patient version, but the version for health professionals is more comprehensive and suited for someone who is familiar with cancer. This version also refers to key citations in the medical literature that link to published medical journal abstracts.
Support for Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers @ National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute's online booklet, Taking Time: Support for People with Cancer, can help newly diagnosed cancer patients and their loved ones adjust to a diagnosis of cancer, talk about cancer, learn about their disease, feel more in control, and know where to turn for help.
The National Cancer Institute Web site contains tutorials with colorful graphics to help you understand the basics behind cancer topics that have been in the news.
Many life science teachers and medical professionals, as well as patients, find that they want more information about new technology and the science behind cancer. The NCI Web site provides easy-to-understand tutorials that can help you learn more about the disease and the advances in technology that are affecting the diagnosis and treatment. You can choose from the following tutorials:
Cancer
Understanding the Immune System
Understanding Cancer Genomics
Understanding Molecular Diagnostics
Understanding Angiogenesis
Understanding Estrogen Receptor/SERMS
Understanding Genetic Variation (SNPs)
Understanding Gene Testing
Understanding Cancer Genome Project
Understanding Nanodevices
Cancer and the Environment
Blood Stem Cell Transplants
HPV Vaccine
The tutorials are presented in a slide-show format, and you can click through the slides at your own pace. Each tutorial is available in both PDF and PowerPoint formats that may be downloaded from the Web free of charge. Additionally, for each topic, there is a clickable index of slide numbers and titles, enabling you to view only the slides that are of interest to you. Tutorials are also available in Spanish.
