- PDQ Cancer Information Summaries
-
PDQ Clinical Trials Database
- PDQ
Directories of Health Professionals and Organizations Involved in Cancer Care
PDQ (Physician Data Query) is NCI's comprehensive cancer database. It contains
peer-reviewed summaries on cancer treatment, screening, prevention, genetics,
and supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine; a registry of
approximately 2,000 open and 13,000 closed cancer clinical trials from around
the world; and directories of physicians, professionals who provide genetics
services, and organizations that provide cancer care.
The PDQ cancer information summaries are peer reviewed and updated monthly by
six
editorial boards
comprised of specialists in adult treatment, pediatric treatment, supportive
care, screening and prevention, genetics, and complementary and alternative
medicine. The Boards review current literature from more than 70 biomedical
journals, evaluate its relevance, and synthesize it into clear summaries. Many
of the summaries are also available in Spanish.
Adult treatment summaries:
PDQ contains evidence-based summaries that provide prognostic and treatment
information on the major types of cancer in adults. Summaries are available for
over 70 types of cancer, including a number of brief summaries on less common
cancers. Health professional versions of the summaries provide detailed
information on prognosis, staging, and treatment for each disease, refer to key
citations in the literature, and link to abstracts for the citations. The PDQ
adult treatment summaries are also available in patient versions, written in
easy-to-understand, non-technical language.
Pediatric treatment summaries:
PDQ contains prognostic and treatment information on the major types of cancer
in children, as well as information on unusual childhood cancers. Health
professional versions of the summaries provide detailed information on
prognosis, staging, and treatment for each disease, refer to key citations in
the literature, and link to abstracts for the citations. All of the PDQ
pediatric treatment summaries are also available in patient versions, written
in easy-to-understand, non-technical language.
Supportive
care summaries:
PDQ's supportive care summaries provide descriptions of the pathophysiology and
treatment of common physical and psychosocial complications of cancer and its
treatment, such as pain, hypercalcemia, and nausea/vomiting. Each health
professional version generally contains an overview, information on etiology,
assessment and management, and references to the current literature. Most PDQ
supportive care summaries are also available in patient versions, written in
easy-to-understand, non-technical language.
Screening/detection
summaries:
Summaries on screening/detection for many of the common cancers such as lung,
colorectal, breast, and prostate, as well as other cancers, are available. The
health professional-oriented summaries contain current data concerning
screening/detection for particular disease sites, the levels of evidence for
those statements, and the significance and evidence of benefit for the
statements, which include supporting references to current literature. Most PDQ
screening/detection summaries are also available in patient versions, written
in easy-to-understand, non-technical language.
Prevention
summaries:
Summaries on prevention for many of the common cancers such as lung,
colorectal, breast, and prostate, as well as other cancers, are available.
Health professional versions of the summaries contain current data concerning
prevention for particular disease sites, the levels of evidence for those
statements, and the significance and evidence of benefit for the statements.
Supporting references to current literature are included. Most PDQ prevention
summaries are also available in patient versions, written in
easy-to-understand, non-technical language.
Genetics
summaries:
PDQ genetics summaries provide evidence-based information about the genetic
basis of certain cancers. Information is given about risk factors related to
family history, major genes and syndromes associated with the disease,
interventions specific to individuals at high risk, and the ethical, legal, and
social issues related to cancer risk counseling and gene testing. An overview
of cancer genetics and summaries on the genetics of breast and ovarian cancer,
colorectal cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, and prostate cancer are currently
available. A summary covering the elements of cancer risk assessment and
counseling is also available.
Complementary
and alternative medicine summaries:
The treatments described in these summaries are generally not disease specific.
Each summary contains background information about the treatments; a brief
history of their development; information about their proposed mechanism(s) of
action; and information about relevant laboratory, animal, and clinical
studies. Although the summaries are available only in health professional
versions, they are written in less technical language and include glossaries of
scientific terms to make them accessible to nonexperts. In the future,
summaries will also be written about complementary and alternative medicine
approaches to cancer prevention.
PDQ contains the world's most comprehensive cancer clinical trials database. It
includes approximately 2,000 abstracts of trials that are open/active and
approved for patient accrual (accepting patients), including trials for cancer
treatment, genetics, diagnosis, supportive care, screening, and prevention. In
addition, there is access to approximately 13,000 abstracts of closed clinical
trials that have been completed or are no longer accepting patients. Abstracts
are written in two formats, the health professional abstract (uses technical
terminology) and the patient abstract (uses non-technical language). However,
some trials (obtained from the ClinicalTrials.gov
database) contain the same text in both the patient and health professional
abstracts.
Searching for clinical trials
NCI's clinical trials database can be searched using a basic
search form that allows selection of a type of cancer, stage/subtype, type of
trial, and location. It is also possible to search for trials using additional
criteria such as type of treatment/intervention, drug name, phase of trial, or
a combination of these and other variables by using an
advanced search form. Help links at the top of each clinical trials
search form lead to more information and tips about searching for clinical
trials.
Submitting clinical trials to PDQ
Any clinical trial listed in PDQ must first undergo comprehensive review. All
NCI-sponsored trials are included without additional review. Other trials are
listed following review by the PDQ Voluntary Protocol Review Board or through a
review process approved by the Review Board. For example, phase II and III
clinical trials that are listed in a Food and Drug Administration
Investigational New Drug Application (IND) are included without additional
review, as are studies conducted by several European cooperative groups,
including the EORTC and the UK-CRC.
Submission
Instructions and a form
for online submission
of protocols to PDQ are available on NCI's Web site.
Additional information about clinical trials
For more information and news about clinical trials, please visit the
Clinical Trials area
of NCI's Web site.
PDQ's Physician Directory includes names, addresses, and telephone numbers of
more than 22,000 physicians who are members of 30 professional societies,
clinical investigators with protocols in PDQ, NCI grantees, and members of
clinical cooperative groups. (The directory is currently not available on
NCI's Web site.)
PDQ's
Cancer Genetics Services Directory
(previously known as the Genetic Counselors Directory) is a directory of over
300 individuals who provide services related to cancer genetics (cancer risk
assessment, genetic counseling, genetic susceptibility testing, and others).
PDQ's Organization Directory includes a listing of health care organizations
with cancer care programs including NCI-designated comprehensive and clinical
cancer centers; community clinical oncology programs; clinical trial groups;
and members of the Association of Community Cancer Centers. (The directory is
currently not available on NCI's Web site.)
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