Thanks for the enlightenment about cancer information resources in Canada,
Dean. BTW, did you see the Canadian Cancer Society's web page?
http://www.cancer.ca
The toll free number 1-888-939-3333 is there (I guess that is what is
there?), but blurred, not discernable. I wonder if this is universal, or a
problem with my computer? I do understand that their information service
is comparable to the one in the States, offering the same excellent
services for fellow Canadians.
As for bone cancers, they are malignant tumors that may develop anywhere in
the skeletal system and represent the 2nd most common form of solid tumor
that occurs among children and young adults,. Any tumor that originates in
the bone and connective tissues of the skeleton, I believe, is called a
primary bone cancer. Some of the most common primary bone cancers
occurring among children and adolescents are osteogenic sarcoma, which
originates in bones,
and Ewings's sarcoma, which usually begins in the marrow of the bones.
Other forms of bone cancers include chondrosarcoma and non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma of the bone.
When a patient or concerned friend or relative calls into a center, like
the Canadian Cancer Information Services, a specialist is available, and
one of the 1st questions asked is: where did the cancer originate? So you
are correct in pointing to the need to discern between cancer that has
metasticized to the bone, and cancer that originated in the bone. BTW and
as you probably know, many bone cancers are also metastatic.
If interested in exploring alternative medicine options, in addition to
looking to bookstores & libraries as sources, I would look to the Internet
(especially if mobility is limited by illness!). For example: The
Alternative Medicine Homepage,
prepared by the Falk Library of Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh,
as a jumpstation for sources of info.:
http://www.pitt.edu/~cbw/altm.html
Hope this is useful.
Lynn D. Hoover
The Hoover Associates
Health Information Resources
Pittsburgh, PA
[log in to unmask]
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> From: Dean Giustini <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Cancer info for patients in Canada
> Date: Thursday, February 05, 1998 11:11 AM
>
> > > I have a member of our hospital staff who has a relative in Canada
who
> > > has just been diagnosted with an advanced form of bone cancer. We
have
> > > the "800" phone number in the US that gets anyone information on
their
> > > cancer plus booklets and searches if necessary. What does Canada have
> > > for their citizens? I would like a Canada wide number if possible.
>
> As Margaret Vugrin has recently asked for input from cancer librarians in
> Canada regarding our work here, and I am writing this for the MLA News, I
> thought I would point out that the Canadian Cancer Society has a
toll-free
> number 1-888-939-3333 that can be used anywhere in the country and that
> cancer patients, family members, the general public and healthcare
> professionals phone the number frequently. You will always get a "live"
> person at this number, and the professionals on the phone are qualified
> oncology nurses and other knowledgeable people. I have heard very good
> things about this service.
>
> As an aside, my hunch is that when someone asks for information about "an
> advanced form of bone" cancer that they may in fact be talking about a
> cancer metastasis to the bone, which is of course a different situation
> and disease. Many common cancers such as breast, lung and prostate cancer
> metastasize to the bone, for example, and treatment modalities are
> different for this clinical situation. Clarifying before leading on to
> appropriate sources may save a family member from undue stress.
>
> Finally, if the situation is palliative a cancer patient in Canada can
> seek out information about alternative/complementary medicine in cancer
> centre libraries, bookstores and libraries. In some large cities, new
> alternative treatment centres are opening up such as the Wild Rose Clinic
> here in Calgary and the Tzu Chi Institute in Vancouver BC. While these
> clinics are not in the mainstream, we have found that in conjunction with
> traditional medicine they can offer patients new ways of coping, and thus
> have hope for their futures.
>
> Regards
>
> Dean Giustini, Librarian
> Tom Baker Cancer Centre
> Library and Information Services
> 1331-29th Street NW
> Calgary, AB T2N 4N2
> ph. (403) 670-1765
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