Though online medical special interest groups occupy an unglamorous corner of the Internet, they are better illustrations of cyberspace buzzwords than anything in those ads. At times the messages exchanged may not be much more than banter between friends who've become close through sharing trauma. But the purpose of the group is never far out of mind. These virtual communities are often volunteer-run, controlled not by the health industry nor by medical professionals, but by patients. Driven by love, not money, they offer both solid practical information and emotional support.
Doctors sometimes participate, as much to learn as to answer queries.
Perhaps because we all find it easier not to think too much about illness and death, many become aware of the existence of online support groups only after something terrible happens. When Angela Sissons's breast cancer recurred 12 years after successful treatment of an initial occurrence, Sissons, of Los Angeles, California, went to the Health and Fitness sections of America Online looking for research material and information. Recently Diana Dills of Seattle, Washington, was diagnosed with melanoma, an often fatal form of skin cancer. Although she has a strong base of friends around her, Dills decided not to tell them. It's better than sitting down with your best friends and laying this huge thing on them.