How to Use This Site
Of course you can use this site in any
manner which suits you, but we thought that we would offer our
thoughts as what we had in mind in presenting the Pancreatica.org
website in its current format.
The Aim of the Site
The Philosophy of
the Site
Who Should Use This
Site
The Five Main Tools
The Aim of the
Site
Our aim is to try and concentrate
practical, impartial, understandable data about pancreatic cancer
at this website, in such a way as to allow active patients, their
caregivers and/or their physicians to sort through a large amount
of information about pancreas cancer quickly. For example, we
would hope that in a reasonably short time, visitors to this
site can acquire access to information that might otherwise take
weeks to find, if it otherwise is found at all.
The Philosophy
of the Site
We understand that cancer of the
pancreas is a serious deadly disease. We believe that taking
an aggressive rational stand against pancreatic cancer, beginning
at the earliest possible time, supported by the best possible
medical team, and treated in the most appropriate manner gives
the best odds for increased survival. We believe in strong patient-physician
bonds. Although we understand the possible benefits of some alternative
therapies, this site is not strongly oriented to alternative
or complementary therapies. We are strongly oriented to scientifically-based
clinical trials against pancreas cancer. We do not believe in
false hope, but rather in the comfort that can come from knowing
that everything that reasonably and rationally can be done, is
being done. This approach is generally taken by meeting such
a challenge head-on, armed with the best available information.
Who Should Use
This Site
This site is aimed at anyone with
a strong interest in information related to cancer of the pancreas.
However, any decisions in regard to treating pancreatic cancer
should be made strictly in conjunction with your personal physician.
The Five Main
Tools
The five main tools of the site
are:
 1).
The Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials
Registry
The heart of the Pancreatica.org website
is a searchable database consisting of the largest known listing
of clinical trials for cancer of the pancreas. This database
consists both of clinical trials directly related to pancreatic
cancer and of clinical trials generally related to tumors (including
pancreatic cancer) which involve the use of drug-agents that
are of interest to researchers. The database can be searched
a number of ways and we have included both a description of the
database as well as tips for searching
strategies.
2).
Pancreatic Cancer News and Archives
This News and Archives section consists
of full articles or abstracted summaries created or identified
by the Pancreatica.org staff, based on wire-service press releases,
articles from medical journals, company press releases, news
articles, and medical abstracts. Unless otherwise noted, the
abstract is based on a news wire release. The purpose of this
section is to give visitors a general sampling of the growing
edge of medical knowledge as it pertains to pancreatic cancer
research.
3).
Newswire Services - Pancreas Cancer
This section consists of current newswire
feeds of a sampling of newspaper articles from around the world
(in English only). The purpose of this feature is to give viewers
a sense of information about how pancreas cancer is being presented
in the news world.
4).
The FAQ (frequently asked questions) Section
This section is a listing of our version of
answers to some very general pre-selected questions about pancreatic
cancer. These answers represent an attempt to give overview to
very complicated and sometimes controversial subjects--and are
primarily based on standard bibliographic sources. The responses
are generally about adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (the most
common form), but one answer addresses other types of pancreatic
cancer--and another discusses neuroendocrine (islet-cell) pancreatic
cancer. This FAQ is presented in a narrative form as interspersed
with selected hypertext-links to other sites.
5).
The Links
The organized links section is an important
part of the site and acts as a gateway to a remarkable amount
of information via the Internet. It will be worth your while
to review a number of these sites. We have created three sub-groupings
of these hypertext-links. The Mini Links
section consists of approximately twenty links (as selected by
us from the Full Links section) which are aimed at giving a concentrated
connection to some of the more directed information about cancer
and about pancreatic cancer on the Internet. The Full
Links consists of more than 150 links aimed at giving visitors
access to a more complete orientation to information about pancreatic
cancer, cancer and cancer centers on the Internet. This section
can also help you, for example, to gain access to a medical glossary.
Or reveal which institutions are considered to be the "best"
cancer centers. Or even to connect you to an online drug formulary.
The Annotated Links section gives commentary
about what certain select links may offer to viewers. These comments
are not meant to be an endorsement of these selected internet
sites.
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