This website is under construction. Look for more Summer, 2006.
Finding Support
"People have a natural capacity to affirm and embrace life in the most difficult of circumstances, and to help each other despite their circumstances"
- Rachel Naomi Remen MD, from Advanced Breast Cancer
- BCMETS, the largest online community of people living with advanced breast cancer, their families and friends. For information and support, to join the mailing list, browse or search the archives go to http://www.bcmets.org/
- BCANS, a web-based bulletin board for all stages of breast cancer, with many people living with advanced breast cancer. From Breast Cancer Action, Nova Scotia at http://forum.bcans.net
- Breast-Cancer Mailing List, the longest running online community for all stages of breast cancer. Archives at http://www.bclist.petebevin.com
- Breast Cancer Recurrences Board a message board for advanced breast cancer from BCSupport.org
- ACOR hosts CLUB-METS-BC, many other cancer-related mailing lists.
Researching Treatments
"I believe in getting all the information I can where it will help me make educated decisions and create understanding about my medical situation. But I shy away from statistics that just give me numbers to fix my thoughts on—numbers that give me averages. I'm not average."
- Caren Buffum, from Advanced Breast Cancer
- CancerGuide Patient advocate Steve Dunn's excellent advice on researching treatments
- The Median Isn't the Message. Every cancer patient should read this illuminating essay by scientist Stephen Jay Gould on receiving a dire diagnosis.
- PubMed, Medline, the National Library of Medicine's searchable database of scientific and medical literature, millions of abstracts.
- San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) The largest annual breast cancer oncology conference, abstracts from prior years, virtual conference website.
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) The largest annual oncology conference for all kinds of cancer, abstracts from prior years, virtual conference website
- Medscape. Continuing medical education for physicians. Good conference coverage and review articles.
- Biologic Therapies in Breast Cancer from Medscape.
- ClinicalTrials.gov and NCI Clinical Trials Search. Clinical trials with eligibility criteria and contact information. Understanding clinical trials.
- BreastCancer.org Metastatic Disease page. Research summaries, transcribed webcasts with oncologists, supportive advice, written for patients.
- National Cancer Institute breast cancer page. Links to NCI resources on breast cancer.
- NeedyMeds.com lists pharmaceutical companies that have patient assistance programs.
- Cancer Care. Good information on supportive care, teleconferences.
© 2005 Musa Mayer. All rights reserved.