There are 10 million people in the US alive today with a history of cancer. Seven million are considered cured. Nearly 1.4 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Another 800,000 cases of skin cancer are also diagnosed. Each one of these cases touches the lives of dozens of other people, and the impact on the world population is difficult to estimate.
Most adults have at least one friend, relative or associate affected by cancer.
OncoLink was created in response to a recognized and perceived demand for information about cancer by all of the people whose lives it affects. OncoLink is the first multimedia oncology information resource placed on the Internet. OncoLink's mission is consistent with that of the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center. It is accessible 24 hours per day worldwide to anyone with Internet access, and there is no charge for its use. OncoLink was launched as a University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center pilot project in March, 1994.