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New consumer health web site launches for cancer patients
Visit the www.NCCN.com for more information.
When you are diagnosed with cancer, it can be a constant struggle to find reliable information online. A new website from a collection of leading cancer centers hopes to eliminate this problem.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network, which comprises 27 of the country's leading cancer centers, has launched NCCN.com, a new consumer information Web site dedicated to educating people with cancer. The site provides resources that make it easier for patients to engage in more informed conversations with their doctors about different treatment options.
"NCCN.com serves as a valuable resource, providing patients with trusted information from leading cancer specialists. It includes information on some hard-to-find topics such as financial resources and health insurance that may be very challenging for people with cancer," said Ruti Volk, former-librarian at the U-M Rogel Cancer Center's Patient Education Resource Center.
In addition to treatment information, NCCN.com provides information on living with cancer, financial and insurance issues, survivorship, a glossary of cancer treatment terms and the latest cancer-related news. The information on NCCN.com is designed to be comprehensive and informative, but presented in a format that is clear and easy for users to navigate. All information is based on research and data provided by the top clinicians and cancer centers across the world.
The U-M Rogel Cancer Center, a founding member of NCCN, is a contributor to the new Web site. The core mission of NCCN is to bring doctors from leading American cancer centers together to set the standard for clinical policy and medical treatment in oncology.
The new Web site is divided into four sections: making treatment decisions, living with cancer, paying for treatment, and life beyond cancer. Experts from member institutions, including U-M, contribute content to the site. The News section of the site offers the latest headlines on cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
Volk highlighted the site's Question and Answer database as especially helpful because the answers come from physicians of the member institutions and help to provide information that is relevant not only to the individual who asked the question but to many people across the world.
"In today's society it is important to have online information that is both credible and reliable," Volk said. "It is great that NCCN has created this Web site because cancer patients and their families recognize NCCN as an authoritative source and trust the information they read on the Web site."
Continue reading the Summer, 2009 issue of Thrive.