Where should I start?

• Don't type cancer into your search engine. You'll get too many sites, and you won't know where to start!
  
  
• We hope this website is a good place to start. It includes detailed information on how cancers are treated in the Greater Manchester & Cheshire Cancer Network area, and our aim is to make it as relevant as possible to you. We have also included links to many other websites that you may find useful.
  
  
• Another good place to start is with some of the major UK sites.
  Macmillan and CancerHelp (Cancer Research UK) are excellent sites, with information on many types of cancer and related topics.
  
  There are also many good UK sites dealing with particular types of cancer - for example Breast Cancer Care, Leukaemia Research Fund and Myeloma UK. Our own site includes links to many of these.
  
  
• There are also many reputable international sites, but remember that medical practice may vary from country to country and what you read may not necessarily reflect your treatment in the UK.

  Good US sites include Oncolink (University of Pennsylvania), the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society. 
   

• Your doctor or nurse may be able to recommend some websites for you to try. Please ask.
  
  
• If you do want to use the search facility on your computer, try to be as specific as you can, to narrow down your search.
  
  
• If you're looking for good quality general health websites to explore a range of topics (not just cancer), good ones to start with are NHS Choices, NHS Direct and the BBC's health site.
  
  
• Before you start your Internet search, think about what you want to find out, and what you will do with the information when you've got it. Be clear about your aims.
  
  
• Exploring this site will give you some ideas about some of the questions you might want to ask your doctors and others in your health care team. You may want to ask these first, before you widen your information search. Give your team the opportunity to answer your questions. Don't be afraid to speak out, if you feel you aren't getting the level of information you need.
  
  
• When you've found the information you're looking for, you may have follow up questions for your team.

  Draw up a list of key questions ready for your next appointment. This is much more helpful than arriving with reams of paper printouts, because it allows staff to focus on what you really want to know!

Always remember…

There are many websites about cancer, but the best people to advise you on your illness and treatment are your own specialist doctors, and others in your health care team.

For more advice…

Evaluating Web Pages. Techniques to apply and questions to ask
A page from the University of California in Berkeley in the format of a tutorial, including questions to ask and techniques you can use.

QuackWatch - your guide to health fraud, quackery and intelligent decisions
A useful site that aims to help you spot websites that are liable to mislead, harm or deceive.

Our Cancer Information Centres have computers in them, and may be able to offer you guided access to the Internet. Please ask your local centre for more information and advice.