Breast Cancer Web Sites

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As with many medical issues today, people turn to the Internet to help them make sense of this illness.

How can you evaluate web-based information? Here are two sources that might help you, according to Suzanne Robinson, Databases Training Coordinator, for the Michigan Library Consortium:

First, Michigan State University has just released a report on the good and not-so-good of breast cancer web sites. A cancer site that the researchers thought was especially helpful was developed at Cornell University: http://envirocancer.cornell.edu.

Second, you can go to the Health and Wellness Resource Center database, which is provided free-of-charge by the Library of Michigan, via the Troy Library's web site. Once there, click on the Trusted Sites tab for some highly recommended health web sites.

To use this database, go to our web site at http://www.libcoop.net/troy/ --> Information on Demand --> Health and Medical -->Health and Wellness Resource Center. Log in by using your Troy Library card number.

As Suzanne adds: "Remember, early detection saves lives. The cure rate for breast cancer detected early is well over 90%. There are over 2.5 million women (and men) who are now breast cancer survivors in the United States."

Good advice.