When researching treatments, you will likely come across advertisements for products or services that claim to treat or cure cancer. There are several types of such alternative treatments advertised, especially on the Internet. They all claim to help. However, before investing time and money on any of them, it’s important to evaluate the claims carefully, check them out using the resources given in this article, and talk with your doctor.

Personalized medicine involves selecting treatments based on a person’s unique genetic makeup and the genetic makeup of the tumor. By performing more genetic tests and analysis, doctors may customize treatment to each patient’s needs.

An abstract is a summary of a research study that allows readers to quickly learn about the important aspects of a study. In medical journals, an abstract is usually presented at the beginning of the published article. Although the intended audiences for most abstracts are medical and scientific professionals, it is becoming more common for patients and their friends and family members to read abstracts while learning about cancer and researching treatment options.

Once a person has been diagnosed with cancer, it is natural to want to start treatment as quickly as possible. Often, the extra time needed to perform additional tests or obtain additional consultations may lead to anxiety that the delay will be harmful. It is important to understand, though, that taking the time needed for a thorough medical evaluation works to your advantage and does not hurt your chances of getting the best results from treatment.

A person with cancer interacts with nurses more than any other members of the health care team. What should patients know about oncology nurses? To find out, Cancer.Net welcomes Gay Bailey, RN, MBA, OCN, and Virginia R. Martin, RN, MSN, AOCN.

We often hear about the progress against cancer in the United States, but what is happening in other nations? Even though U.S. cancer rates are improving, the number of cancer cases is increasing throughout the world. To learn more about cancer rates in the United States and across the world, Cancer.Net talked with Richard L. Schilsky, MD.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is an approach to patient care that began in the 1990s. With this approach, doctors base decisions they make with patients on the current best research evidence available, plus their own medical expertise.

More than 60% of cancers in the United States occur in people over the age of 65. Even though cancer is more common in older adults, they often face unique needs and concerns compared with other groups of people with cancer. Cancer.Net talked with Hyman Muss, MD, to learn more about what patients and families should know about cancer in older adults.

A tumor board is an approach to treatment planning. It consists of different cancer specialists who review and discuss a patient's medical condition and the possible treatment options. To learn more about tumor boards and their role in cancer treatment, Cancer.Net talked with Anthony F. Provenzano, MD.