This nationwide, community-based organization is working to eliminate cancer as a major health problem through its research, education, patient service, and advocacy programs.
Strengths: This Web site is a source of up-to-date information about cancer and its treatment, and written in a language that is easy for patients and their families to understand. You can also find information on cancer resources in communities throughout the United States.
Americans with Disabilities Act @ American Cancer Society
This section of the American Cancer Society's Web site offers valuable information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an act that protects against discrimination when cancer prevents or severely restricts the performance of tasks essential to daily life.
The section clearly describes the scope of the ADA, providing information such as where cancer patients might encounter discrimination, and what is considered a disability. There is also a Questions & Answers section, that addresses qustions such as what you should do if you think you are being discriminated against, based on disability, in either a work situation or outside a job setting. The Additional Resources section provides links for resources such as the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Job Accommodation Network, as well as the ADA's mailing address and toll-free telephone number -- the ADA Information Line.
The American Cancer Society provides information about more than 65 different types of cancer. There are lay-language overviews with information about symptoms, diagnosis, staging, and treatment. In the "Learn About Cancer" section, look for the link "Choose a cancer topic" to find an overview about a specific cancer. To help newly diagnosed patients who may be feeling overwhelmed, a number of overviews include a link to "Profiler Tools for Cancer", interactive tools designed to help patients make informed treatment decisions, including questions to ask their doctors about their treatment and prognosis, disclosure of side effects and outcomes, and links to relevant medical studies. The information in Cancer Profiler is based on scientific medical journals and is regularly updated by ASCO's Medical Editorial Board, experts in cancer research and treatment. There is also a Detailed Guide for each cancer type, designed for patients who want more specific medical information, including treatment information by stage of disease. A notation at the bottom of each page indicates when information was last updated.
Cancer Survivors Network @ American Cancer Society
This section of the American Cancer Society's Web site comprises personal stories from cancer survivors that are published in an effort to share resources and offer hope and strength to others. By registering to become a member, which is free-of-charge, you can create your own web space, and populate it with your favorite "expressions", including poems, photos, audio/video, and blog entries. You can also browse the Member Resource Library, which includes recommended books, events, videos and web sites, and view members' personal Web pages and blogs to find others facing challenges similar to yours.
If you find a Web page that interests you, you can add that person to your "friends" list, e-mail that person, or add the Web page to your favorites list. Registering also allows you to post messages to the network's discussion boards and participate in chat groups. There are discussion groups on virtually every type of cancer as well as on issues such as emotional support and cancer in the workplace. Registered users can control access to their personal information, such as their e-mail address, and networks are available in Chinese and Spanish, as well.
Coping with Physical and Emotional Changes @ American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society's Web site presents specific information about managing side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, such as confusion, constipation, poor appetite, and hair loss. For each side effect, there is information about what to expect, how to manage that symptom, and when to call your doctor. The site also includes worksheets to track side effects and to record cancer pain, and offers tips on nutrition, appearance changes, anxiety, fear and depression, as well as long-term physical changes such as scars, wounds, and limb amputation. You can search for common long-term physical changes by specific surgeries and/or types of cancer.
The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons is comprised of members from 30 medical professional organizations who set guidelines for cancer diagnosis and care. CoC approval is given only to those facilities that have committed to providing the best in cancer diagnosis and treatment. The American College of Surgeons designated more than 1,400 programs in the United States as Approved Cancer Programs, representing approximately 25 percent of hospitals in the United States. The American Cancer Society offers a searchable database of these programs on their Web site. The Hospital Locator can assist patients with such matters as finding a nearby hospital approved by the Commission on Cancer, what specific diagnostic tests and/or types of treatment they provide, which CoC-approved hospitals offer cancer screenings, prevention programs, assistance with travel, pain control services, and more.
The American Cancer Society's Web site presents valuable information about managing day-to-day issues related to cancer treatment, including insurance and legal issues. There is a helpful primer -- Medical Insurance and Financial Assistance for the Cancer Patient -- that provides suggestions about obtaining and managing your medical insurance; getting government assistance; understanding life insurance and other medical benefits; and finding financial assistance. In the Financial and Legal Matters section, there is also information about Advance Directives, legal documents that protect your right to refuse or accept medical treatment, even when you are unable to make decisions about your medical care, as well as the Patient's Bill of Rights, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act. You will also find information about home and hospice care, including types of agencies, services, and payment information.
Presented on the American Cancer Society's (ACS) Web site, the NexProfiler Tool, an interactive treatment decision tool, is designed to help patients better evaluate their treatment options and, with their physicians, make informed treatment decisions. It is available through a partnership between the ACS and NexCura, the for-profit healthcare information company that created the tool. In addition to the ACS site, the tool is also offered free of charge on other cancer and medical-related Web sites. It provides you with treatment options for 20 different types of cancer. To use this tool, patients should have a precise diagnosis and extensive information about their tumor type.
To access the tool, you must register. You also will need to complete a detailed, confidential questionnaire about your diagnosis, providing information about pathology results, staging, tumor marker test results, and other medical information. This questionnaire may take 15 to 30 minutes to complete. Based on the information you enter, you will receive a Treatment Options Report, with a description of each treatment option and the side effects most commonly associated with it. This report does not identify the best option(s) but includes all possible options. You can then access the Treatment Outcomes Tool to get information about outcomes related to your treatment options. This tool does not predict your likelihood of surviving cancer based on a particular treatment. Rather, it will guide you to abstracts of peer-reviewed medical journal articles that involve patients with a similar diagnosis and tumor type as yours. These abstracts are not written for a general lay audience and may require the guidance of a physician to interpret. Some of the journal articles have been published in the past several years; others were published a decade ago.
Support Groups and Education in Your Community @ American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society's Web site provides a list of Society-sponsored resources and programs throughout the United States. A listing of resources, from programs that provide free wigs to patients who have lost their hair as a side effect of their cancer treatment, to workshops on how to cope, are available by entering your zip code or city and state. Along with these helpful resources, community fundraising events are also listed. The "Local Resources" section lists programs specifically for cancer patients and their families. You will also find a link to "Join the Discussion", which leads you to a virtual community message board, allowing you to exchange questions and stories with other cancer patients online.
What You Need to Know About Clinical Trials @ American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society presents comprehensive information about what cancer patients should know about clinical trials. This information includes an explanation of why clinical trials are conducted and who sponsors and conducts them; questions to consider if you are thinking about participating in a clinical trial; an explanation of the risks and benefits of participation, and what participation would involve; and information about whether medical insurance covers the cost of clinical trials.
