Sept 1, 2001

In This Issue:
Black Tea, National Ovarian Cancer Month, HMOs May Leave Medicare, Charity Sues Pharma, Hospice, Links to Links, Second Opinions Help, Sources of Info Online and On The Phone

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THE LATEST NEWS

Scientists Think They Have Found Black Tea's Anti-Cancer Secret

Medicare Chief Warns More Managed Care Plans May Leave Medicare

Charity "City of Hope" Sues Pharmaceutical Company

More Americans Use Hospices But Wait Too Long

cancerpage updates the news twice daily.

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NATIONAL OVARIAN CANCER MONTH

In September, cancerpage features a special section on ovarian cancer with references to other gynecological cancers. The new material covers prevention, detection, treatment, federal funding, and complex research questions with commentary from the President of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.

http://cancerpage.matria.com/promos/sept_01.asp

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SECOND OPINIONS REVEAL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES

Some patients diagnosed with prostate or bladder cancer may needlessly undergo surgery, according to a report. A diagnosis of cancer is typically made after a pathologist examines tissue under a microscope, a procedure known as biopsy. The appearance of a microscopic slice of tissue is subject to interpretation and the experience of the physician. In some cases, doctors disagree even with the diagnosis of cancer. more...

INTERNET CAN HELP PATIENTS

Greater access to health information via the Internet and advocacy groups has allowed patients to "take ownership" of their illness, market analysts Datamonitor said. Patients in the United States are more likely to question their doctors than those in Japan, while European attitudes fell somewhere in the middle, the report said. more...

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ONLINE SOURCE FOR MEDICAL INFO ON CANCER

If you are newly diagnosed and searching for medical information on cancer, a key resource for patients and professionals is the National Library of Medicine's MedLinePlus, which is a gateway to medical journals and a wide range of health info. MedLine offers dictionaries, reference books, past clinical trial results and current trials descriptions, as well as links to health organizations. The website also lists over a dozen ways to find and evaluate physicians such as "Who's Certified" sponsored by the American Board of Medical Specialties, which can verify a doctor's certifications. The following link to MedLine's site map also connects to British and European cancer organizations. NOTE: cancerpage.com includes a link to MedLine at the bottom of most of our sections and pages.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sitemap.html

1. US News and World Report's latest list of HMO rankings (1999) and Best Hospitals (with a cancer subspecialty) (2001).

2. National Cancer Institute's search engine for finding an NCI-designated cancer center near you.

3. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network's directory of cancer specialists, which finds a specialist near you.

4. The American College of Surgeon's Commission on Cancer list of accredited centers and the Society of Gynecological Oncologists directory which also has a search engine.

If you know of any other directories that would be helpful to our visitors, send an email to Editor@cancerpage.matria.com. Here's the address: http://www.cancerpage.com/healthstreet/

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ON THE PHONELINE: SOURCE FOR MEDICAL INFO

Cancer Care offers educational programs by telephone (or 'teleconferences') for people with cancer, their family and their friends. These teleconference seminars are completely free and you will not be charged for the call. All you need is a phone. There are also Teleconferences for Professionals. Upcoming Teleconference Seminars cover Patient rights and Caregivers' issues as well as various specific types of cancer. All of the teleconferences feature speakers who are nationally recognized experts on their topics. You need to register to get on the phone list for the teleconferences and you can register online. You can also call Cancer Care's Office at 212-302-2400, or the toll-free Line at 1-800-813-HOPE, and ask to have a registration form sent to you. For more information, visit

http://www.cancercare.org/teleconference/main.htm