Archive-name: cancer-faq Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: 1994/09/14 Version: 1.8 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-= THE CANCER FAQ Answer to a Frequently-Asked Question (FAQ): What online sources of information are available about cancer? Please contribute to the FAQ! If you have a source of online information about cancer that is NOT listed above, AND it is NOT listed within any of the above sources (such as CancerNet), then please contact me at willdye@helios.unl.edu and tell me about it. I am eager to make this list as comprehensive and up-to-date as possible. Good luck, God bless you, and KEEP FIGHTING. Informed, motivated patients live longer! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-= --------------- | CancerNet | --------------- CancerNet is by far the most comprehensive and up-to-date source of information about cancer. It is maintained by the (United States) National Cancer Institute. Included in this database is a well-maintained list of other information sources, such as MEDLINE, so for most people this is THE place to start. Sources of information that are listed in CancerNet are (usually) not repeated in this FAQ. Send e-mail to: cancernet@icicb.nci.nih.gov with no subject, and the word "help" as the message. They will send you a message explaining how to use the system. They can also be reached by calling the voice line: 1-800-4CANCER. For those without online access, they can send out brochures and FAX'es. CancerNet is available through voice phone, traditional mail, FAX, e- mail, gopher, ftp, and World Wide Web. Contact CancerNet via e-mail or voice phone for current access instructions. -------------- | OncoLink | -------------- We would like to announce "OncoLink", a WWW-server and gopher server oriented to CANCER. This resource is directed to physicians, health care personnel, social workers, patients and their supporters. THIS RESOURCE CAN BE REACHED AT: cancer.med.upenn.edu With a WWW-client (e.g. Mosaic), use: http://cancer.med.upenn.edu/ With a gopher client (e.g. gopher) use: gopher cancer.med.upenn.edu 80 The maintainer of this resource can be contacted at: BUHLE@XRT.UPENN.EDU -- Dr. E. Loren Buhle, Jr. INTERNET: BUHLE@XRT.UPENN.EDU University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Phone: 215-662- 3084 Rm 440A, 3401 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104-6228 FAX: 215-349- 5978 -------------------------- | The Virtual Hospital | -------------------------- From: sandro@lhc.nlm.nih.gov (Michael D'Alessandro, M.D.) Date: 16 Mar 1994 17:44:24 GMT The Virtual Hospital: A New Paradigm for Electronic Publishing in the Health Sciences The Virtual Hospital (VH) is a continuously updated medical multimedia database stored on computers and accessed through high-speed computer networks 24 hours a day. The VH will provide invaluable patient care support and distance learning to health science practitioners. The VH's information may be used to answer patient care questions, thus putting the latest medical information at practitioners' fingertips. This same information may be used for continuing medical education (CME); delivering CME to practitioners' offices and homes at a convenient time and location. The VH is currently undergoing initial loading and proofing of content, and will be fully operational in the next 6 months. In the interim, there is already a large amount of useful medical information within it, so please stop by and browse. The Virtual Hospital is a service of the Electric Differential Multimedia Lab in the Department of Radiology in the University of Iowa College of Medicine. The URL for the Virtual Hospital is: http://vh.radiology.uiowa.edu/ ------------------------------------------------- | The Breast Cancer Information Clearinghouse | ------------------------------------------------- (updated 20 Jun 94) NYSERNet's Breast Cancer Information Clearinghouse (BCIC) is an Internet accessible resource for breast cancer patients and their families. Information is obtained through partnership agreements with many organizations which provide information and services relating to breast cancer to the public. Current partners represent government health agencies, hospitals, libraries, hospice and non-profit agencies. As the BCIC grows and evolves it will become a credible and comprehensive source of information for patients, survivors, advocates and researchers. The BCIC is accessible via gopher from NYSERNet's main menu at nysernet.org, or through WWW at http://nysernet.org/ -- Terri Damon NYSERNet, Inc. (315) 453-2912 x 225 Breast Cancer Gopher: nysernet.org Information Clearinghouse URL :http://nysernet.org/breast/Default.html -------------------------------- | Commercial online services | -------------------------------- Many online services have forums for people to discuss cancer. CompuServe ---------- CompuServe's forum (GO CANCER) has many friendly people there who are either cancer patients or medical professionals. The Cancer forum on CompuServe opened in 1988. It is a mix of cancer patients, friends and relatives, and medical professionals form all fields. The forum is divided into three areas. The message base, an interactive bulletin board where message threads develop, and a great deal of information is shared. The Libraries, where information in file form is stored, updated, and added to on a daily basis. Included in the libraries are the latest PDQ files (both patient and physician versions) for the most "popular" cancers. Others will be placed there on request. The third area is the Conference area, where online, real time conferences are held with up to 150 people participating. Often these are discussions with various expert guests. The forum is unique in that it acts as an online support group, information exchange vehicle, and library, all in one resource. For the cancer patient, undergoing treatments, etc. it is a great place for many reasons. Often patients are unable or unwilling to visit a local support group because of illness, appearance, etc. The forum provides that support, and is open for their benefit 24 hours a day, every day. Prodigy ------- Prodigy is said to have a good Medical Bulletin Board, with several different subjects under the Cancer topic, including a prostate cancer group. One person writes: "My father would have been DEAD without Prodigy - literally. They would have gone right ahead with an unnecessary, and possibly fatal, surgery on him had he not heard from the supportive people at Prodigy." America Online -------------- America Online has a self-help "Living with Cancer" support group every Sunday night at 7pm EST. Use the keyword HEALTH then click on MEDICAL HEALTH AND CHAT. Cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones are all welcome. Other Online Services --------------------- At the time this FAQ was updated, no one has commented on the quality of the cancer forums on other online services, but such comments would be welcome. To Contact A Commercial Online Service Provider: ------------------------------------------------ To start an account, contact the service of your choice. Each service can be contacted by voice through an 800 number. Call the 800 directory service (voice) at 800-555-1212 for the 800 number of the service you would like to try. Most services offer free or reduced-cost service for the first month of use. You might want to check recent computer-related magazines for special offers and coupons. -------------------- | Gopher and WWW | -------------------- To get the most current Gopher/World Wide Web addresses of interest, it's best to just get on and start searching. To help you get started, here's a list of servers that others have found useful. The list may not be up to date, but it should provide some good starting points. If you don't know what Gopher and WWW are, look for some FAQ's in the new users newsgroups or the gopher/WWW newsgroups, or contact your local help desk or system administrator. gopher://gopher.nih.gov - Cancernet gopher http://www.nih.gov/ - NIH WWW server http://billings.nlm.nih.gov/welcome.html - National Library of Medicine http://cancer.med.upenn.edu/ - OncoLink, from the U. of Pennsylvania gopher://cancer.med.upenn.edu:80 - OncoLink, via gopher gopher://utmdacc.uth.tmc.edu - M.D.Anderson (cancer center) gopher://gopher.dfci.harvard.edu - Dana-Farber (cancer center) gopher://bigmac.mskcc.org - Sloan-Kettering (cancer center) gopher://gopher.ncc.go.jp/ - National Cancer Center Tokyo gopher://istge.ist.unige.it - IST (Nat Inst for Cancer Research) (Italy) gopher://yaleinfo.yale.edu:7000/11/Biomed - Yale Medical Center gopher://serversun.mdv.gwdg.de/ - GWDG Goettingen gopher://med-gopher.stanford.edu/ - Stanford medical center http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ - HyperDOC at US National Library of Medicine ftp://ftp.sura.net/pub/nic/ - Health sciences resources list gopher://weeds.mgh.harvard.edu/ - Global Biological Information Servers at Harvard - also by topic. ----------------- | The FDA BBS | ----------------- For information on specific drugs, you might try the FDA BBS (U. S. Food and Drug Administration's Bulletin Board System). Using the telnet facility, telnet to "fdabbs.fda.gov", and login as "bbs". Technical Support is available for the FDA BBS System from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. EST Monday through Friday. For support, contact the Parklawn Computer Center (PCC) at (301)443-7318. If you are looking for a specific report or article, contact the FDA Press Office at (301)443-3285. -------------------------------------------------- | Online library catalogs (to help find books) | -------------------------------------------------- There are many good (and some awful) books about cancer and cancer-related issues. You local library may have its catalog online, especially if it's a University-related library. -------------- | Net News | -------------- In case this FAQ was forewarded to you by e-mail, you might want to know that it is posted every week or so on the news groups "sci.med", and "alt.support.cancer". These are both good newsgroups for cancer information and support. The FAQ is also posted on "news.answers", a group for FAQ's. ------------------------------------------------------ | The NYU BBS for Brain Tumor Support and Research | ------------------------------------------------------ From: al.musella@woodybbs.com (Al Musella) The head of Neurosurgery at NYU set up a commercial bbs system for brain tumor sypport and research. It is called: Brain tumor on- line. For information, call voice: 800-785-3312. It is pretty new, and not many people are on it yet, but there are a few doctors from NYU and the Mayo clinic - so it is a good source of info if you have a brain tumor. ----------------- | Other FAQ's | ----------------- From: Steve Dunn (snydere@ucsub.Colorado.EDU) I have an FAQ on new developments in breast cancer. This is definitely not a complete guide to breast cancer, rather it is a compilation of things I happen to have run across on the subject that I'd want to know about if I had breast cancer. I also have FAQ's on good general books on cancer I and on online information sources. I also have an FAQ on books on alternative cancer therapies. All available by email on request. -------------------------------- | Shareware Programs via FTP | -------------------------------- From: hoang@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (My Khanh Hoang) Date: 17 May 1994 08:02:51 GMT The following ftp site: ftp.cica.indiana.edu has several shareware programs that may be helpful. One particular relevant program is Reduce Cancer Risk in pub/pc/win3/misc. -------------------------- | MED HELP INTERNATIONAL | -------------------------- (From Phil Garfinkel, 9/14/94) Med Help International (MHLI) provides medical information written in non-technical terminology in order to support patients and their families who have been struck by the tragedy of serious illnesses. MHLI is comprised of an all-volunteer staff of physicians and other health care professionals who are electronically connected. Med Help has set up a FREE Bulletin Board System (BBS) so that people with modems and PCs can dial-in for information, request information, or to meet other people in similar situations. If you would like to follow up or want to help out you can contact us via e-mail...or via the address below... Our BBS is on Long Island (NY) and it is FREE to the public. The BBS phone number is 516-423-0472 MED HELP INTERNATIONAL INC. 6300 North Wickham Road Suite 130, Box 188 Melbourne, FL 32940-2029 Voice: (407) 253-9048 Fax: (407) 253-1819 BBS: (516) 423-0472 Internet: philg@world.std.com Compuserve: 73174,2405 or 73323,3050 -------------------------------------------------- | The Internet Health Science's Resources List | -------------------------------------------------- An update of my BITNET/Internet Health Science Resources List (03-93) is now available via ftp from FTP2.CC.UKANS.EDU. This document is an attempt to create a comprehensive list of health science resources available on the wide area networks. The list includes Listserv groups, Usenet groups, Freenets, Data Archives, Electronic Publications & Health Science oriented databases. This update also includes expanded gopher and WWW sites with many URL addresses, pointers to health related documents, and a large E-Journal section, along with several new databases and libraries. I hope you'll find this document useful for your Internet travels. Access via ftp: FTP2.CC.UKANS.EDU Directory: pub/hmatrix FILE: medlst03.txt or medlst03.zip Lee Hancock Internet - LE07144@UKANVM.CC.UKANS.EDU Owner & Editor: Internet/BitNet Health Science Resources List Owner CPRI-L (Listserv@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu) Computerized Patient Records HMATRIX-L (Listserv@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu) Online Health Resources ---------------------------------- | The Better Information Group | ---------------------------------- (While not an online source, the Better Information Group is included here for those interested in Breast Cancer. The information was received from webl@aol.com in July 1994.) -------------------------------------------------------------- Better Information Group publishes information guides. One of them is a basic understanding of Breast Cancer and treatments, etc. Their guides are $2.00 each. For other guides they have a toll free number giving details 1-800-814-4139. Their mailing address is: Better Information Group 8815 N. 12th Place, Station T Phx, AZ 85020 -------------- | BMT-Talk | -------------- From: laurel@ai.mit.edu (Laurel Simmons) Date: Sun, 10 Jul 94 16:14:59 EDT bmt-talk@ai.mit.edu is a moderated mailing list for the discussion of Bone Marrow Transplants. This mailing list is open to anyone who wants to talk with other people about bone marrow transplants. It doesn't matter if you are the patient, or somebody who has a relationship with a patient. Health care professional are certainly welcome. It also doesn't matter what the diagnosis is. Everyone with an interest in bone marrow transplantation is invited to contribute to this list. The moderator (that's me!) is Laurel Simmons. I live in the Boston area and had a bone marrow transplant in 1987 at the Fred Hutch in Seattle for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. To subscribe to bmt-talk send mail to bmt-talk-request@ai.mit.edu with only the word "subscribe" (no quotes) in the body of the message. To get more info on bmt-talk send mail to bmt-talk-request@ai.mit.edu with only the word "info"" (no quotes) in the body of the message. Once you are subscribed you can send regular mail to bmt-talk@ai.mit.edu (without the word request in the address). ------------------------------ | Other Online Mailing Lists | ------------------------------ (Thanks to Steve Dunn for the next three references) CANCER-L - A very intensive general support group highly recommended! To subscribe: Send a message to: LISTSERV@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU Leave the subject line blank, and set the first message line to: SUBSCRIBE CANCER-L Brain Tumor Discussion Mailing List: To subscribe: Send a message to: LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU Leave the subject line blank, and set the first message line to: subscribe BRAINTMR your_first_name your_last_name Breast Cancer Discussion Mailing List: To subscribe: Send a message to LISTSERVER@MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA Leave the subject line blank, and set the first message line to: subscribe BREAST-CANCER ----------------------------------- | Cryogenic suspension services | ----------------------------------- Here is the list of organizations with cryonic suspension capability (or that are working to achieve cryonic suspension capability). Alcor is not only a membership and caretaking organization but also does the cryonic suspensions. Email: info@alcor.org The American Cryonics Society is the membership organization and the suspensions and caretaking contracted out to other organizations. Email: cryonics@netcom.com CryoCare is a new organization (actually a group of organizations) incorporated in late 1993 and opening for business in 1994. The people creating it have been top cryonics supporters and researchers for many years. Email: 72727.560@CompuServe.com (Brenda Peters, President) Email: 71042.3557@CompuServe.com (Charles Platt, Vice-President) CryoSpan is a new for-profit company formed for the purpose of providing long-term cryogenic care of humans and their companion animals at the lowest possible price. Email: 70023.3041@CompuServe.com Trans Time does both suspensions and caretaking for cryonics patients. Email: quaife@math.berkeley.edu (From R.C.W. Ettinger, 10 Jul 94) The Cryonics Institute is one of the four cryonics organizations offering physical services, and the second largest. It is also by far the lowest in cost, which could be important to people in exceptional danger and ineligible for new life insurance. There are several funding options. Anyone who inquires will be sent a package of information without cost or obligation. R.C.W. Ettinger Cryonics Institute 24443 Roanoke, Oak Park MI 48237 Phone (810) 548-9549 Phone/Fax (810) 547-2316 E-Mail ------------------------ | The BMT Newsletter | ------------------------ From: flatau@cli.com (Arthur D. Flatau) I was pleasantly surprised to find that several issues of the BMT Newsletter are on-line. What is on-line is the book: "Bone Marrow Transplants: A Book of Basics for Patients" and the January, March and May, 1994 issues of the BMT Newsletter. These are available on New York State Breast Cancer Information Clearinghouse (BCIC) gopher. gopher to nysernet.org or if you use a world-wide web brower (e.g. Mosaic) the URL is http://nysernet.org/. Look under "Special Collections: Breast Cancer Information Clearinghouse" then "Sources of Medical Information and Support" and then "BMT Newsletter". Most of the November, 1993 issue of the BMT Newsletter is available on the Yale biomedical gopher. Point gopher to info.med.yale.edu or use the WWW URL gopher://info.med.yale.edu/. Look under "Biomedical disciplines and specific diseases", then "Diseases and disorders" and then "Organ and tissue transplant information". In my opinion the BMT Newsletter is the best single source of information for patients considering undergoing a bone marrow transplant. I hope that most of the other issues of the BMT Newsletter will be on-line soon. -------------------------------------------------------------------- | The Powerlines & Cancer FAQ (i.e. do powerlines cause cancer?) | -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: jmoulder@its.mcw.edu (John Moulder) Date: 6 Jul 1994 19:41:57 GMT FAQs on Power-Frequency Fields and Cancer The primary anonymous FTP archive is: cdmas.crc.mcw.edu/pub/powerlines_and_cancer This archive contains both the posted 6-part version and a complete 1- part version. The FAQ sheet will be archived, after varying intervals, in the following places: Anonymous FTP: "rtfm.mit.edu" Directory: /pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/powerlines-cancer-FAQ Files: part1, part2,... part6 E-mail server: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu -To get the current FAQ you would send the following message send /pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/powerlines-cancer-FAQ/part1 . . . send /pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/powerlines-cancer-FAQ/part6 On GEnie in the library of the Space and Science Roundtable (M460;3). The file is called EMF-FAQ.ZIP. On World Wide Web at: http://archive.xrt.upenn.edu/0h/faq/powerline_faq http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/powerlines-cancer- FAQ ----------------------- | Free Drug Program | ----------------------- From: wilds@netcom.com (William D. Sterling) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 1994 17:34:49 GMT If you are financially distressed by the high cost of your cancer medication you can try to obtain free medication under a program operated by the United States Senate, Department of Aging. Majority Phone 202-224-5364 Minority phone 202-224-1467 At least 31 Drug companies will give 3 month supplies of drugs under the "indigent drug program" when requested on a form that your doctor can fill out. Call the above numbers for a list of the companies, drugs and contact phone numbers. The same list can be found via gopher at cancer.med.upenn.edu under the menu selection indigent drugs. -------------- | InterNIC | -------------- (From the Chronicle of Higher Education, 8/3/94, page A16) InterNIC Information Services has a new free publication called the Scout Report that provides useful information to assist educators and researchers in using the Internet. For instance, a recent issue explained how to connect to information servers at various research labs and universities. To subscribe, send e-mail to majordomo@is.internic.net with the message: subscribe scout-report. Mosaic users can connect to http://www.internic.net ---------------------------------- | The Texas Cancer Data Center | ---------------------------------- From: flatau@cli.com (Arthur D. Flatau) Date: 30 Jun 1994 15:36:15 -0500 Via Internet: telnet txcancer.mda.uth.tmc.edu Via modem: dial 800-788-9293 (in Houston or outside Texas 713-794- 5858) Modem settings: No parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, Full Duplex You need to have VT100 emulation. E-mail can be sent to message@txcancer.mda.uth.tmc.edu. "users are encouraged to send suggestions, comments or questions about the system or data provided." -------------------------------------- | The clinical trials mailing list | -------------------------------------- From: bleicher@world.std.com (Paul Bleicher) Date: Sun, 12 Jun 1994 04:00:35 GMT I have started a new mailing list for those interested in the design, management and execution of clinical trials. To subscribe, send an EMAIL message to: majordomo@world.std.com The body of the text should read (exactly as written): subscribe Clinical_Trials Information on the list will follow, including instructions on posting messages. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-= (end of the Cancer FAQ)