Human Biology

Cancer Comparison of Websites Cancer, the very mention of the name triggers a feeling of hopelessness and void in the lives of people. Learning to face this dangerous disease in a positive manner is almost half the battle and it requires a lot of inner strength. In majority of the cases people lose the fight at the very mention of the disease, seemingly doomed to the inevitable, engulfed by an all-consuming fear.

With the advancements in medical science that we have today we are better prepared now than ever before in dealing with the disease. However it is important to be knowledgeable about the disease in order to put up a positive fight. Today the Internet is perceived as a rich source of information. In this regard let us compare two websites that contain a lot information pertaining to the disease and its treatment methodologies. Cancer.org This site carries exhaustive information about cancer and is maintained by the American Cancer Society.

At the outset the information within the site is neatly grouped providing for easy navigation to the desired section. The information in the home page of the website is classified under five main groups. 1) Patients, Family and friends, 2) Survivors, 3) Health Information Seekers, 4) ACS supporters and 5) Professionals. The patients information link provides a wealth of information about the disease and the therapies that are available for the each and every type of cancer. Apart from the detailed information about the disease it also has additional advice on prevention and early diagnosis.

Throughout the website there is a link that lets us to search for any particular type of cancer. This allows us to have a detailed outlook into any specific type of cancer like brain cancer, bone cancer. etc. The treatment decision tool takes us to the 'Cancer profiler' that enables us to have a look at the statistical data pertaining to different treatments and their success rates so that we can make well informed treatment choices. A simple registration process is required to access the treatment decision support tools.

Filling up a detailed questionnaire enables us to get a good idea as to the best suitable treatment for the particular condition of the patient. There is a Cancer survivors link that is especially useful for patients who have successfully undergone the treatment and overcome the disease. This section explains the nutrition details for cancer patients and for the survivors. A lot of information about prevention and early detection of cancer and support programs are provided. Different detection tests like endoscopy, radiology, estrogen, mammograms etc. are discussed in this section.

Further more the site also has an online 'Cancer community network' (requires a simple registration process), which enables cancer patients and survivors to communicate and exchange information directly by way of online chat, talk shows, etc. The page for health information seekers has detailed information about the disease as well as the different detection methods. There is also a wealth of statistical information pertaining to cancer over the years. The site lets information to be downloaded and these facts can be very useful in preparing research articles.

The special section for professionals includes all the latest development in the field of cancer and it is mainly useful for medical practitioners who want to keep abreast with the technological advancements. Professionals can also get the latest research results and propose for the funding program offered by the ACS for research programs. This website is not only an educational site but also an ecommerce site in that there is an online bookstore, which sells books about different types of cancer and therapies.

The site also accepts online donations to support the cause of the ACS. One special feature of the site is that it is multilingual and there is an optional Spanish version available. Cancer-info.com This site is also a highly informative and a purely educational one. One noticeable quality of his website is its speed. (Compared to Cancer.org) Its simple design (without any real graphics) has made navigation between the pages a hassle free and an enjoyable experience.

There is an information directory (pull down menu) using which we can branch out to our area of interest. There is a thorough discussion of the many different types of cancer and the treatment methods for the different stages of the cancer. This website although not as visually pleasing as the previous one (cancer.org) is simple to navigate and is based on a very simple design.

One good point about the site is that the basic design for each page is the same with the information directory pull down menu available in each page. Going through the site gives us an impression that this site is more exhaustive in terms of the information than the cancer.org. (Lot of information packed under a simple design). Basically the information in the site is classified under three separate groups. That is 1) Alternative medicine information, 2) Cancer information and 3) Treatment information.

The alternative medicine link discusses the different alternative medicines available as a supplement to medical treatment. The cancer information link has a lot of special features asides the data about the disease. For example the site has a "Self testing Exams" page which has important instructions for self-examination and identifying the disease at an early stage. (Specifically for breast and testes cancers). The treatment information link is quite comprehensive with details about radiation, chemotherapy, Taxol drug, Immunotherapy etc.

The special feature of this site is that there are many multimedia 'Learning videos" available which enable us to understand the medical procedures better. (With practical cases). These videos are continuously updated and so the latest problems and therapies can be easily grasped. This feature is not present in Cancer.org site. There is also a.