An Online Aid for Surviving Cancer
12/21/99
More people than ever are surviving cancer, health officials say; by one estimate, about 8.4 million Americans who have had cancer are alive today. But from this indisputable good news flows a host of new challenges for doctors and patients alike, as the
DCCPS logoA newly redesigned Web site aims to make these waters easier to navigate.
The site is an overhaul of one that has been maintained for some years by the National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Survivorship. It is designed to be of use not just to patients but to researchers and practicing doctors. Its address is dccps.nci.nih.gov; follow the link to "Survivorship Research."
Although much of the information there is not new, officials say, it has been reorganized for simplicity. Different forms of cancer, for example, are given their own sections. And visitors seeking information about new treatments can read about 1,800 clinical trials. There are also numerous links to other information sources.
In its old version, the site drew about five million visits a month, officials said.