A medical doctor, concerned about the quality of medical
information online decided to create a website to educate patients,
families and caregivers about cancer.
Rochester, MN (PRWEB) January 10, 2005 -- A medical doctor,
concerned about the quality of medical information online decided to
create a website to educate patients, families and caregivers about
cancer. The website, called cancerforums.net uses a message board
where anyone may post their questions and concerns about anything
related to the disease. The volunteer physician then answers their
questions and offers his support.
Dr. Leonardo Faoro, a
medical resident specializing in Hematology-Oncology, started the
website after perceiving a need to guide patients and families
through the enormous amount of medical information currently
available. “There is a lot of medical information on the Internet
that is misleading, biased, or just plain wrong”, says the young
doctor. “Also, there are many people that just want to learn more
about their disease, but end up leaving the medical office with too
many doubts and questions that went unanswered”, he adds. While not
giving medical advice on his website, he answers general questions
and frequently instructs people on how to find answers to their
questions. Dr. Faoro has been in the same situation, when one of his
family members faced the difficult diagnosis. “I had to show this
person how to find relevant and up-to-date information, which helped
him to make informed decisions about treatment”, he
explains.
Since its creation in September of last year, there
have been almost 2000 topics on the website, which continues to
experience remarkable growth. Many users share their stories,
successes and frustrations on the forum. A good portion of them
returns regularly, welcoming new users and forming a network of
users united against cancer. “Since I found out about this site, I
have been totally amazed and pleased with Dr. Faoro and other
participants”, notes a regular user of the website. In addition to
being a completely free service, cancerforums.net is accredited by
Health on the Net, an international organization that verifies that
health-related websites comply with ethical standards.
The
incidence of human cancer in the United States is fortunately
decreasing. It reached its peak in 1992, then slowly started to
decline. Still, more than half of all cancers diagnosed in 2003 were
breast, lung, prostate and colorectal. “We have to make a lot of
progress in screening and making sure that tobacco use diminishes”,
says Dr. Faoro.
While the website is centered around the
message boards, additions are being developed. There are plans to
include a blog system, where the users may contribute with their own
experiences and thoughts. A chat room is also in the works.
“Cancerforums.net is a place where users can come and be confident
that their concerns will be taken seriously, and that they will find
others who may help them through this difficult journey”, Dr. Faoro
summarizes.
For additional information log on to: http://www.cancerforums.net/
CONTACT
INFORMATION:
Leonardo Faoro
Cancer
Forums
507-216-4143
http://www.cancerforums.net/
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