It was founded in 1907 to facilitate communication, to foster research, public and scientific education, and to promote understanding of cancer internationally. The AACR also holds an annual meeting and several conferences annually. The University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center's web site, Oncolink, was created in 1994. Usage has climbed steadily since then, and in March of this year alone more than 225,000 people visited the site. One of the key attractions is Oncolink's comprehensive array of information about cancer.
Features appeal to health care professionals, cancer patients and survivors and their families.
They include menus organized by disease and by medical specialty, and clinical trials. The site contains information about cancer causes, screening and prevention, as well as information about coping with cancer and death. The site consists of about 1,500 pages, including a growing catalogue of booklets and fact sheets that can be ordered as a CD-ROM and searchable databases of support groups, cancer organizations and hospices. The organization, created in the mid-1980s, lobbies government and offers advice to the National Health Service, and also provides extensive support and services for cancer patients and their families and friends. One of the resources is a telephone support line staffed by nurses.