By Nora Cain

Health Library

“Getting diagnosed with cancer is somewhat similar to taking a crash course in medical school. Within a few months of your diagnosis, you will know more about your particular disease, the organ it is growing in and the research being conducted than your original family doctor does. This self-education is vitally important to your recovery because knowledge is power-power over your disease and power over your treatment. Go to the library and read everything you can find on your particular situation. Start with your local library and work up to the medical library at the closest medical school. Get on the Internet and search the World Wide Web for treatment options and patient discussion groups. Pick up the phone and call knowledgeable friends for information and advice. Join a support group, subscribe to newsletters, and keep reading and questioning. The more you know, the more options you will have.”

This is according to Maureen Keane, author of “What to Eat if You Have Cancer.”

This sage advice from the author of a book on cancer and nutrition captures the essential journey that patrons in the Stanford Health Library often find themselves on following a cancer diagnosis. For many, the most harrowing part of this journey takes place in those hours and days before they have a good understanding of what the diagnosis means, and are only living with the reality that they have cancer. Coupled with the fact that the process of taking in information can be overwhelming, it isn’t surprising to discover that many people hardly know where to begin.

A resource that has helped over nine million people begin to sort through their questions about cancer is the Cancer Information Service (CIS), funded by the National Cancer Institute. CIS is a free telephone service ( 1(800)-4-CANCER ) that can be reached from any of the 50 U.S. states as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is staffed by trained telephone information specialists who have completed rigorous training before they begin answering phones. The information specialists are also required to have a nursing degree or a bachelor’s degree with a background in medical terminology. They have been trained to answer callers’ questions, supply them with appropriate information and to send the callers specific literature that will further their understanding about the condition that prompted the call. At a time when it might be difficult to sit and read about cancer, the CIS provides a valuable service for those who need to hear a reassuring voice at the other end of the line. The importance of the ability to communicate directly with another person at a time when one feels most isolated and alone cannot be overestimated. The information that supplements the phone service is produced by the National Cancer Institute and is mailed to callers free of charge.

For those who want more information, The Health Library, with its trained volunteers who will help with patron research, has access to databases and full text journals that will take the patron to the deeper information they might be seeking.

Write to The Health Library at nora.cain@medcenter.stanford.edu. The Health Library resources are not intended as a substitute for medical care and should be used to formulate questions for discussion with your physician. The main branch is located at 2-B Stanford Shopping Center. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. The phone number is 725-8400.