This resource guide is intended to provide general and supportive information about cancer, lab tests, diagnostic testing and imaging, pathology, etc.

If you would like additional information or print copies of the brochures listed below, please stop by the Community Cancer Resource Center (CCRC), call the ASK-RPCI line at 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email ASKRPCI@roswellpark.org.

Before you go surfing for health information on the Internet

How To Evaluate Health Information on the Internet: Questions and Answers  - This fact sheet from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) contains information to help people decide whether the health information they find on the Internet or receive via e-mail from a Web site is likely to be reliable.

Treatment Scams - How to Recognize Them and What You Can Do

If you or someone you love has cancer, chances are you’re sorting through mountains of information and facing many decisions about various treatment options. And you may be curious about supposed miraculous cancer-fighting products — pills, powders, herbs, and more — that you’ve either seen advertised or heard about from family and friends. Be skeptical: Lots of these are scams, and when you’re battling cancer, the last thing you need is a scam.

The Federal Trade Commission (the nation's consumer protection agency) has launched Cure-ious? Ask..., a new Web page so you can learn more about this very important issue.

General Health Information (including, but not limited to cancer)

MedlinePlus® - This Web site from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) will direct you to information to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus® brings together authoritative information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other government agencies and health-related organizations. MedlinePlus® also contains extensive information about drugs and supplements, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive tutorials, the latest health news, and surgery videos.  MedlinePlus® also has a cancer page.

General Information About Cancer

Dictionary of Cancer Terms - This Web site from the NCI contains a searchable medical dictionary with over 4,000 entries related to cancer and medicine.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary & Thesaurus - This resource from Merriam Webster now includes a pronunciation guide.  Medical terms can be confusing and difficult to say, so the "talking" feature is especially helpful.  Open the search page, be sure the radio button is set for dictionary, type in your word and click SEARCH. To hear the correct pronunciation of words like metastasis, prostate and mesothelioma, just click on the red speaker next to the word. A new window will open and a voice will say the word. 

Medical Illustrations Gallery  - This gallery, provided by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), includes both full-color anatomical illustrations of common sites where cancer occurs organized by cancer type and illustrations of cancers by stage.

My Biopsy.org - This Web site from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) has information sheets on several types of cancer and related conditions. Information includes answers to common questions about the disease, what treatment options are available, questions you should ask your doctors, a definition of key terms, and pictures of a normal tissue as well as one that is diseased.

Statistics, Survival & Prognosis

Facts & Figures 2008 -  This annual publication from the American Cancer Society (ACS) attempts to summarize current scientific information about cancer, incidence, mortality, risk factors, screening, improvements in survival and includes data presented by cancer type, gender, state, etc. 

Understanding Prognosis and Cancer Statistics - This fact sheet from the NCI is about the importance of predicting disease outcome and recovery, and how statistics are used to estimate prognosis.  

The Difference Between Primary and Metastatic Cancer

Metastatic Cancer: Questions and Answers  - This fact sheet from the NCI is about metastasis, the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. It also discusses the diagnosis and treatment of cancer that has spread.

Diagnostic Testing

Interpreting Laboratory Test Results  - This fact sheet from the NCI describes the role of screening and diagnostic laboratory tests and includes a brief discussion of factors that can affect the results.

Lab Tests Online  -  This Web site from the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) has been designed to help you, as a patient, family member or caregiver, to better understand the many clinical lab tests that are part of routine care as well as diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of conditions and diseases.

Diagnostic Imaging, Interventional, and Therapeutic Radiology

RadiologyInfo - This Web site, developed and operated jointly by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), is a resource for radiologic information for patients, the general public, and referring physicians. Features include patient information about radiologic procedures and concise, accurate descriptions of diagnostic, interventional and therapeutic radiology procedures, how each is performed, and what patients might experience.  The links below will bring you to each section, which includes information about the procedures listed and more.

• Diagnostic Radiology (Including CT scans, MRI, mammography, ultrasound, X-rays)  
• Nuclear Medicine (Including PET scans, thyroid uptake & scans, radioactive iodine therapy)  
• Interventional Radiology (Including chemoembolization, cryotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, uterine fibroid embolization, vascular access procedures, vertebroplasty) 
• Radiation Therapy (Including brachytherapy, external beam therapy, gamma knife, IMRT, linear accelerator)