What is Cancernet?  An independent organisation comprising of a multidisciplinary of group of health professionals and cancer survivors. Ten years of academic research involving patients and their relatives has helped cancernet identify the areas and levels of information which patients need to help them make decisions, cope with the side effects of therapy and help them make informed lifestyle choices.  It also provides a useful resource for services which may be useful after a diagnosis of cancer such as support groups, academic and commercial organisations. 

Philosophy of cancernet; We aims to provide:-

• a free, comprehensive information service for cancer patients, their family and friends.
• a free comprehensive information tool for health professionals
• an evidence based lifestyle advice resource.
• a forum for patients to chat and provide mutual support
• A reliable link to resources and products which will help support individuals with cancer

Editorial team. The majority of pages in this website have been written by various members of  the research for patients research group. The group has constantly changed and evolved over the last 12 years and editorial input has been received from:

• Patients currently or previously receiving cancer therapies
• Academics, statisticians from Cranfield & Cambridge Universities, 
• Nurses, doctors, pharmacist & dieticians. 
• Lifestyle counsellors and nutritionalist
• Complementary specialists

Editor: Professor Robert Thomas Mb Chb FRCP MD FRCR The founder and current editor is a consultant, cancer specialist, with 20 year’s experience in patient care. After formal training in mainstream cancer care at the Royal Marsden, Royal Free and Middlesex Hospitals London, he now leads cancer treatment services at the Primrose Oncology & Research Unit, Bedford and leads the prostate brachytherapy program at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University NHS Trust. He is also a visiting professor of medical information at Cranfield University, deputy editor of the British Journal of Cancer Management and editor of the the medical journal "Focus on cancer medicine".  Despite a long history of basic scientific and laboratory research his academic interests have now turned to methods which improve patient’s understanding of their disease and treatment options. This research has produced a number of practical information tools ranging from bespoke patient booklets, leaflets and  video films.  The methodology for this research is also now being taught to colleagues and students internationally in formal teaching programs, medical conferences and invited lectures. More recently research has focused on how lifestyle can improve quality of life and disease outcome following a diagnosis of cancer. As well as a number of practical lifestyle strategies for patients, his team have designed and are conducting two of the UK largest quality of life and lifestyle studies in patients with breast and prostate cancer. Experience of writing stems from the extensive list of publications in international peer reviewed medical journals,  the government backed national NHS cancer plan, the DoH review of complementary medicine and the NICE committee on supportive medicine. These credentials and experiences have been recognized by a number of high profile medical awards including the UK Doctor of the year 2000/1, NHS patient information research prize 2002, UK Oncologist of the year 2006.

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Research manager: Madeleine Williams is the research and development manager at the Primrose Oncology Clinical Research Unit Bedford Hospital. Madeleine has helped to co-ordinate a series of landmark trials which have gain international praise following their publication in scientific journals and presentation in conference as far a field as Australia, the USA, Mainland Europe and throughout the UK. The first trial triggered the start of this information site -  a national research project analysed at the Institute of Public health Cambridge University that shocked the UK cancer doctors by showing that over 70% of their patients were not satisfied with the information they received about their cancer and treatment options. Other trials went on to show that contrary to tradition medical opinion patients adequately informed of their disease and treatment option were much better satisfied and had lower treatment related anxiety and depression.

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Technical support - David Thomas is a website technician with over 30 years experience in the health profession and an experienced computer engineer. David has helped design this website and ensures its smooth function with our internet provider Claranet.

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Graphics and illustrations: Erika Shilling. Engineer and artist. Responsible for the illustrations throughout the site, particularly those on the sections related to exercise after breast and abdominal surgery.

Technical support and researcher: Pavla Lickova. Pavla helps develop new pages and researches content. She responds to feed back from users. She ensures the pages run smoothly and the contents are up to date.

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H E P  Health Education Publications houses the website and work with David Thomas to ensure the website meet UK legislation and functions well for the 87,000 users who use the site every week.

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Oncology nurse panel. Further work by the group has shown that the number of patients who have access to the Internet has almost  doubled in three years (17% – 28%). A longitudinal project in Cambridge & Bedford has shown that the introduction of information systems (and a culture to use them) has increased patient satisfaction from 23% to 96.5%. This massive improvement in patient satisfaction has coincided with a major increase in "Letters of thanks" and reduction in "letters of complaint" - the most common reasons for official litigation in the UK. This data was presented in The European Society of Medical Oncology Conference Hamburg 2000. The research for patients information group is currently investigating how the archiving of the advice sheets on the website aids communication between hospitals and the community health professionals. The oncologists in the collaborating oncology centres are encouraged to include the URL of the advice sheet, which has been given to the patient, in the GP’s letter and copy this to the community nurses. By typing this precise address on their practice computer health professionals will go directly to the same page given to the patient.

Quality control - how are the cancernet information sheets written? Each topic before submission goes through a strict writing process which utilises the experience of our patients & professional panel , helped by guidelines described in the discern project & centre for Health Information Quality. These topics are then passed through the IPRG and put onto the web site by the cancernet team (Part of Health Education Publications) who maintain and service the site. This process ensures that not only have materials been written by experienced professionals in the field, they have been reviewed by the patient who have actually received the treatments.

Summary of the editorial process:

An attractive feature of the design of this website / hand held file system is its ability to integrate with local and other national strategies. The web site carries information on all the other UK patient support groups including contact names, addresses & telephone numbers and hyperlinks to their home page. It provide links to the other cancer information charities in the UK and internationally and also provides links to complementary and alternative medicine sites.

The design of the hand held also file facilitates the sharing of information from other sources. Although, A4 the file folds into an A5 size and clips together, making it neat, compact and easy to carry. There are pockets for two A5 booklets, for example BACUP, and any A4 sheet from any source can be included.

Our sponsors This site has only been made possible by the generous support by educational grants from our sponsors and the goodwill of our volunteers.

Prizes and awards The information for patients research group were runners up in the Hospital Doctor of the year and BUPA communication prizes and won a BMA patient information prize in 1999. In 2000 they won the prestigious NHS communication prize and have been nominated for several others. Overall winners of the HOSPITAL DOCTOR magazine 2000-1 Doctor of the year prize and the 2006 British Association of Oncology - Oncologist of the Year 2006

Partners  prostate-cancer.co.uk   bowel-cancer.org    breast-cancer.uk.net   keep-healthy.com

Further information