Synopsis
Cancer Resources on the Internet shows cancer patients, their families, and oncology health care professionals how the Internet can be used to locate information about the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of different forms of cancer; to locate specialized treatment centers around the world; to facilitate support groups; and to provide a mechanism for individuals to share experiences and stories. This book includes a discussion of the quality of information on the Net (and how to assess it); evaluations of Web sites in terms of content, clarity, and user-friendliness; and advice on how to conduct a focused, subject-specific search. Arranged in an order that gives a general starting point and then leads to more specific needs, Cancer Resources on the Internet helps you by:
• providing an overview of cancer resources available on the WWW—how to overcome the sheer quantity of information and find the most relevant sites
• discussing the National Cancer Institute's CancerNet, including ways to access the network and links to other resources
• detailing OncoLink, the first multimedia cancer information resource on the Internet offering state- of-the-art, quality information
• reviewing NCI's comprehensive cancer center's 26 web sites—from patients’and referring physicians’viewpoints
• showing how to find information on breast cancer on the Internet—Web-based resources on risk factors, early detection, treatment, psychological aspects, and breast cancer in men
• discussing different types of Internet resources (mailing lists, newsgroups, and real-time communication) and using cancerinformation to show how health care information can be transferred from physician to patient and back again
• illustrating a practical use of Internet Relay Chat (IRC)—how it offers accessibility to shut-in and convalescing patients and instant, real-time support
• guiding you through the process a newly diagnosed Hodgkin's Disease patient might use to find information and support on the Internet
• reviewing resources found on the Web about alternative and complementary therapies for cancerInformation resources on the Internet about cancer, from Web sites to listservs and chat groups, are plentiful. In fact, cancer patients and oncology health care professionals were some of the earliest users of the Internet as a health information resource. Using cancer as the focus of this book provides a helpful overview of the various health care uses of the Net.
Aziz Boxwala
This is a collection of articles describing cancer care resources on the Internet. These articles are intended to show cancer patients, their families, and healthcare professionals how the Internet can be used to locate information about the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cancer. With the large number of cancer-related resources on the Internet, a guide to help look for appropriate information would be very useful to patients. Although the book is intended for oncology professionals, and patients and their families, the loose collection of articles creates a lack of cohesiveness throughout the book, making it difficult to understand for a novice Internet user. The book also lacks an introductory chapter on the Internet. The articles themselves are very insightful and will certainly benefit more experienced users. Some of the major cancer related resources on the Internet are described in the articles, often written by the creators of the resources. These include the National Cancer Institute's CancerNet site, the Oncolink site, and all of the NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers. One article provides examples of sites pertinent to breast cancer. Another interesting article is presented as the diary of a patient suffering from Hodgkin's Disease who documents his discovery of resources on the Internet useful to him. Although widely dispersed throughout the book, helpful guidelines for assessing the quality of the material found on the web are provided. The Internet is a very dynamic medium with resources being added to it very often. A static medium such as a book cannot keep pace. This material would have been more useful as a web-site. Providers of supportivecare to cancer patients may find this book useful to learn more about cancer resources on the Internet and to guide patients in their search for more information.