BREAST CANCER: FYI

On the Web

These sites offer comprehensive information, including detailed descriptions of causes, detection and treatment of breast cancer. Many are searchable if you need info on a specific topic.

• Check out this page to browse online resources by topics such as screening, diagnosis, treatment, quality of life, patients under 40 and caregiver concerns.

General info sites:

• Breast Cancer.org is one of the best sites on the Web due to its extensive breakdown of breast cancer by topic and its research news, which is accompanied by a simple explanation of what the research means to patients.
• Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers teleconferences to pose your own questions to experts as well as a database of information.
• Cancer.gov, from the National Cancer Institute, could be your one-stop research resource. This easy-to-use site features simply written descriptions as well as links to journal articles and handbooks for patients.
• Y-Me features downloadable PDF booklets that covers many aspects of breast cancer.
• Komen for a Cure has been at the forefront of the fight against breast cancer, raising millions each year for research through its Run for the Cure events.
• The National Comprehensive Cancer Network offers an easy-to-use site with full descriptions of every facet of breast cancer and its treatment. Especially useful: the interactive "decision tree."
• From WebMD, this overview article covers many aspects of breast cancer, including an excellent description of how it develops, how it is detected and methods of treatment. WebMD also hosts a chat board if you wish to compare notes with others.
• HealthSquare.com presents Breast Cancer: Great Odds of a Cure from the PDR Famly Guide to Women's Health. Includes discussions of risk, detection and treatment. Excellent place to start to understand the disease.
• Imaginis offers an easy to navigate site covering all aspects of breast cancer, with many interactive pages. The site is divided into "patient" and "healthcare professional" sections, but don't let the latter scare you off. Some pages have "printable" format.

Sites geared to research:

• From Medline's Medical Encyclopedia, this page serves as an outline to many topics.
• National Cancer Institute's PDQ document is for "health professionals," but offers so much detailed information that it is worth wading through. Categorized and linkable, you can connect to just the right section.
• OncoLink, from the University of Pennsylvania, offers a wealth of information, with diagrams and charts. Easy to use, too.
• The American Society of Clinical Oncologists Web site has a searchable database with extensive breast cancer reports and links.
• Artemis from Johns Hopkins published research news each month. The other portion of the Web site also lists general info.

Advocacy and special groups

• Stop Breast Cancer.org is from the National Breast Cancer Coalition, an advocacy group.
• Breast Cancer Action.org advocates for policy change in breast cancer care. Be sure to check out Breast Cancer Myths Debunked to learn about antiperspirants cure rates and recurrence.
• The Sisters Network aims its information to African American women. While this population is not diagnosed with breast cancer any more frequently than others, African American women do experience higher mortality rates.
• The Mautner Project provides information for lesbians with cancer.

http://www.breastcancerfyi.org/online.html