Comparison of cancer information websites and educational resources

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.

Conclusion

Both the above mentioned websites provide extensive knowledge about Cancer and the different treatments available. There are some unique features to both the sites. For example the "Cancer profiler" available in Cancer.org is an excellent decision support tool. Similarly the multimedia learning videos available in Cancer-info.com are very instructional. Apart from the differences in design layout there are a lot of common features in both these sites. Bot the sites have an online information network that enables patients to interact and exchange information. The basic difference is that the Cancer.org site is both educational and commercial (has a shopping cart) and it sells books online while there is no online sale as far as Cancer-info.com is concerned (Purely educational). We can conclude by saying that both these websites are highly informative and would go a long way in assisting the patient in making informed decisions.