Additional Resources

Cancer research is one of the most well-funded and active scientific fields in the United States. Whether you’re a patient, family member, student or medical professional looking for more information on the latest research and treatment options, trends in cancer diagnosis and survival rates or resources for the newly diagnosed, high-quality information is readily available.

National Research Associations

American Cancer Society: The major functions of the ACS are to fundraise and support cancer research, provide support and resources to cancer patients and their families, and to publish and promote new findings from the field of cancer research and prevention. Publications include Cancer, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and Cancer Cytopathology. The ACS also runs the Hope Lodge, Road to Recovery and Relay for Life.
National Cancer Institute: This governmental agency is dedicated to funding cancer research endeavors. Major recipients of NCI grants are the Radiological Physics Center and the Quality Assurance Review Center. Last year, President Obama signed into law the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act. Since the RCRA requires the NCI to prioritize cancers with less than a 50% survival rate, combatting lung and pancreatic cancer have become the organization’s chief concerns.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network: This alliance of cancer research and treatment centers provides hundreds of patient and caregiver resources online. NCCN is also responsible for developing and maintaining the recognized standard for clinical policy and practice standards in oncology, over 97% of American cancer patients receive treatment according to NCCN guidelines.
Centers for Disease Control: The CDC works with a number of national organizations, state health agencies and research universities to prevent and control cancer. Data collection and public awareness campaigns are a primary focus for the CDC, priorities include teaching at-risk groups about cancer screening tests and opportunities, major anti-smoking campaigns in public schools and the publication of English and Spanish language cancer prevention and control guides.
U.S. National Library of Medicine: The NIH and the NLM maintain this online medical encyclopedia, MedlinePlus. This resource is collected for providers, patients and students. The index contains over 4,000 articles on diseases, tests, injuries, treatments and surgeries. The cancer chapters of this guide are organized by type. Medline’s editorial board is very strict, resources featured here are peer-reviewed and rely entirely upon evidence-based medical information.
CancerCare: Cancer Care has been providing counseling, support groups, education and financial assistance to cancer patients and their families since 1944. Live educational workshops are hosted on a variety of topics once or twice a week throughout most of the year. Users can listen in over the phone or watch an online webcast to participate. Connect Workshops are free, but do require pre-registration.

Online Communities and Support

The organizations below are dedicated to connecting cancer patients, survivors and family members to the support and assistance they need. Services offered often include:

Personal online counseling sessions
Live online group chats facilitated by a professional therapist
Cancer discussion boards and forums
In-person therapy and counseling through local affiliates
Toll-free helplines and referral services
Clinical trial matching
Financial assistance on medical travel and co-pays

Additional Resources