An Excellent Hotline Resource

I am highly embarrassed that, after more than 30 years in the business, I was unaware of this excellent resource. The NCI has funded a national hotline for more than 40 years. If you have any general cancer questions (Meaning not something that is specific to your situation and should go to your own doctor), this is a good place to start.

From NPR comes this report that has educated me this morning:

Got Cancer Questions: This Little-Known Hotline is Here to Help

If you were worried you had cancer, who would you call for information? Chances are
a federally-funded cancer helpline isn't the first place that pops into your mind.
But for 40 years, a helpline funded primarily by the National Cancer Institute has been
answering people's questions about cancer.
It's a source of information for people who have been called back for a follow-up after
routine screenings and are worried they might have cancer. And it can also help cancer
patients get information about participating in clinical trials and help them figure out
questions to ask their doctors.
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle runs the Contact Center,
which is funded mostly by the National Cancer Institute with some support from the
Veteran's Administration. Last month, the NCI awarded Fred Hutch a $24 million,
three-year contract to continue operating the helpline.
"There will be about 1.7 million Americans diagnosed with cancer this year. For many
of them, access to good information can be the difference between life and death," says
Peter Garrett, a spokesperson for the National Cancer Institute.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/06/09/532230703/got-cancer-questions-this-little-known-hotline-is-here-to-help