Resources for patients & families
A good starting point is the Federal Trade Commission's article, Curious about Cancer Treatments? Talk to Your Doctor First. Below are some other resources to help you with your own research.
Getting information
When doing your research, your local library may have books or scientific articles about the therapy you’re interested in. A reference librarian can help you gather those articles. These organizations can provide information to help you and your doctor get answers to your questions and manage your treatment wisely.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
NCCAM is the federal government’s lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine. The NCCAM Clearinghouse can provide scientific and medical information on complementary and alternative therapies to help patients and their families make decisions with their cancer treatment team. Although the Clearinghouse staff does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners, they can assist you in searching the relevant medical studies.
- http://nccam.nih.gov/health
- info@nccam.nih.gov
- Toll-free in the U.S.:
1-888-644-6226
(TYY) 1-866-464-3615
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCI conducts and funds major cancer research programs. Its website has information on a variety of cancer topics, including complementary and alternative medicine.
- www.cancer.gov/cancerinformation
- 800-4CANCER (800-422-6237)
MedlinePlus.gov
MedlinePlus brings together authoritative information from National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.
HealthFinder.gov
This website, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services together with other Federal agencies can help you find government and nonprofit health and human services information on the Internet.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA’s mission is to protect the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of drugs, medical devices and dietary supplements. (Visit www.fda.gov to find information about dietary supplements and other products and therapies.)
- FDA Warns Firms to Stop Selling Fake Cancer "Cures"
- Beware of Online Cancer Fraud
- FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
www.fda.gov/Food
1-888-463-6332
Competition Bureau of Canada
Project False Hope warns consumers against online cancer treatment scams. This site analyzes the claims made about a fictitious product, "Natural Herbal Formula." Scrolling over the text produces pop-up bubbles that comment on the tactics that scammers use to hook people.
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem through research, education, advocacy, and service.
- www.cancer.org
- 1-800-227-2345
(TTY) 1-866-228-4327
Clinical trials
ClinicalTrials.gov
www.Clinicaltrials.gov is a registry of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world.
- www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials
- 1-800-422-6237
(TTY) 1-800-332-8625
National Institute of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
The ODS evaluates scientific information about dietary supplements and publicizes research results to inform the public.