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Date reviewed: 04/25/2003
Guide to National Cancer Institute Information Resources for Patients and the Public
http://www.cancer.gov Web site The cancer information section of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) http://www.cancer.gov Web site provides access to PDQ®, the Institute’s comprehensive cancer information database. Additional resources available on this Web site include publications for cancer patients, clinical trial results, a dictionary of cancer terms, and prepared literature searches on specific cancer topics. Links to other Web sites that have been reviewed for quality and reliability can also be found on http://www.cancer.gov. These resources are available at http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinformation on the Internet.PDQ, which was developed and is maintained by the NCI’s Cancer Information Products and Systems (CIPS) program, contains cancer information summaries describing the latest advances in cancer treatment, supportive care, screening, prevention, genetics, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Most cancer information summaries appear in two versions: a technical version for health professionals and a nontechnical version for patients, their families, and the public. Many summaries are also available in Spanish. The information in PDQ is peer reviewed by editorial boards of oncology experts regularly. The database is updated to ensure that the information it provides is consistent with the results of the latest cancer research. PDQ also contains an extensive directory of approximately 1,800 ongoing clinical trials, including information about studies around the world. The public can access cancer information from PDQ in several ways, either on their own or with assistance from NCI. The database is available online and via CD-ROM through various commercial and nonprofit information distributors. A list of NCI’s current distributors can be obtained by contacting the Licensing Coordinator at:
Many of the distributors are also listed on the http://www.cancer.gov Licensees Web page at
http://www.cancer.gov/licensing/licensees on the Internet. The NCI’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) is a national information and education network for patients, the public, and health professionals. From 14 regional offices covering the entire United States, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Islands, trained staff provide the latest cancer information and smoking cessation counseling through a toll-free telephone service. Staff can respond to calls in either English or Spanish. The CIS’s toll-free number is 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237). For deaf and hard of hearing callers with TTY equipment, the number is 1–800–332–8615. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., local time. Callers also have the option of listening to recorded information about cancer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The CIS also provides live, online assistance through the LiveHelp link on the NCI’s Web site. Through LiveHelp, an instant messaging service, information specialists provide Internet users with help in navigating NCI Web sites, searching for clinical trials, and finding answers to questions about cancer. LiveHelp is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern time. Sources of National Cancer Institute Information
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