Welcome to Onconurse.com. This site came about as a result of your feedback at the past two Oncology Nursing Society conferences. Our goal is to support your relationship with your patients by providing fact sheets and other resources related to patient education. Our fact sheets combine practical, emotional, and medical information reviewed by MDs. Incorporating the stories of many patients who have "been there," Onconurse.com materials provide your patients with support for their journeys.

At the ONS conferences, when we handed out patient-education materials excerpted from our books, our small booth was mobbed. Oncology nurses wanted our information. You think like we do:

• It's important for patients to know as much about their condition and treatment as they want, to relieve their fears and misconceptions.

• Empowered patients can be knowledgeable partners in treatment and make the best decisions for themselves.

• It's important for patients to have connections with other patients--to hear others' stories, to imagine how they can cope with treatments or uncertainty, and to regain a sense of hope.

Although it was plain that nurses wanted our information, we weren't sure how to distribute it. Through a survey at the 1999 ONS conference, we learned that a growing number of nurses now have access to the Internet and decided that we could distribute these patient-education materials online, for you to print and copy for your patients, as needed. (Our conference surveys told us that almost all nurses have access to a copier, even though many have very little money to spend on patient education.)

Here is our offering of patient-education materials for you. We are gradually adding PDF versions of the fact sheets for printing in an easy-to-read, two-column format. These materials combine a mix of viewpoints, which nurses appreciate. Our information is grounded in Western medicine and is patient centered, talking about concerns that patients have and incorporating stories of many patients who have "been there."

We are able to offer materials on adult cancers for which we already have books published--Advanced Breast Cancer, Colon and Rectal Cancer, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas, Cancer Clinical Trials. And we have reviewed materials from other adult cancer books still under development, such as Adult Leukemia and Lung Cancer. In addition, we are in earlier stages of developing other books.

For pediatric cancers, we offer materials from Childhood Cancer (solid tumors), Childhood Leukemia, and--from Childhood Cancer Survivors--materials on late effects.

When we have new material for you--such as material from books still under development, survey results, or other content--we'd be glad to send you an email telling you of that update to our site. Simply register at Onconurse.com to receive an online notification.

It is our hope that these patient-education fact sheets will provide your patients with information they're looking for and support for their journey.

Sincerely,

Linda Lamb
Series Editor
Patient-Centered Guides