Archive-name: cancer-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1994/09/14
Version: 1.8
 
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                         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!
 
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=-=-=
 
---------------
|  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 <Your Name>
 
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 <ettinger@aol.com>
 
 
------------------------
|  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.
 
 
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(end of the Cancer FAQ)
 

