By Janet McGregor
Contributing Writer

When someone is first told he or she has cancer, the reactions are as varied as the individuals and types of cancer.

Anger, denial, disbelief, shock, fear, embarrassment and confusion may all be experienced. Norma Johnson was told she had colon cancer via phone while at work - on her wedding anniversary. She said, “I went into the bathroom and cried.” She and her husband followed through with their get-away plans for the weekend, but she says, “I cried most of the time and wouldn't talk about it at first.”

Regardless of their initial reaction, at some point most begin to devour every piece of literature and information they can find on cancer.

They talk to survivors. They go to the Internet and scan through the many thousands of cancer related web sites.

The American Cancer Society is usually the first source highly recommended by survivors. The ACS has a comprehensive gathering of information covering every aspect of cancer. The society also has a 24-hour information line, 1-800-ACS-2345.

Shirley Bowman, whose husband had cancer and whose daughter-in-law is currently battling cancer, said, “You can't do enough to educate yourself. It's your body — take charge and find out everything that's out there.”

A number of cancer survivors cautioned against taking every source as the “gospel.” Robyn Smith, breast cancer survivor, noted, “Some things are outdated. They are progressing so fast when dealing with cancer that you have to be careful when assessing the information.”

Prior to beginning to research treatment options and other data, it is important to have a name for the specific cancer. A diagnosis of “skin cancer” is too broad for most research purposes. Carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, sarcoma are three types of skin cancer. However, each of these can also be broken down further.

As an example, sarcomas cancers occur in connective tissue, bone, muscles and other areas. The treatment options for each of these could be different.

Talking with other survivors can make the research process go faster. Many will have already explored options and be able to give guidance. They can also tell you what has worked for them and the potential side effects associated with some treatments.

The following listing is by no means complete. It includes a listing of information resources for understanding cancer, keeping abreast of statistical data, current proven and alternative treatments and general research.

- American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org; 404-816-4994 or 1-800-ACS-2345. The ACS is the largest source of private, not-for-profit cancer research funds in the U.S., second only to the federal government in total dollars spent.

- CancerGuide by Steve Dunn: www.cancerguide.org

- National Cancer Institute: www.nci.nih.gov

- Cancer Information Service: cis.nci.nih.gov; 1-800-4-Cancer A free public service of the National Cancer Institute; information and education network.

- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: altmed.od.nih.gov

- University of Texas Center for Alternative Medicine Research in Cancer: www.sph.uth.tmc.edu:8052/utcam

- American Botanical Council: www.herbalgram.org

- Pharmaceutical Information Network: pharminfo.com

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