Medical Doctor Volunteers to Help Cancer Patients Online
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 via PR Web
Direct) 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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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb196057.htm