Related Links

Warning: The Web sites listed below are linked for the convenience of users and are not managed by Inova Health System. Please note that Inova Health System does not review, control, endorse, or assume responsibility for the content of these sites.

How to Find Medical Information
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculosketal and Skin Diseases has published recommendations for how to search for medical information and how to use information wisely.

Colon Cancer

American Cancer Society
Information is available on colorectal cancer prevention and risk factors, detection and symptoms, types of treatment, FAQ, and recent news.

American Digestive Health Foundation
At this site, you can download a patient video on colorectal cancer. Fact sheets and a colorectal cancer IQ test are also available.

American Institute for Cancer Research
At this site of the American Institute for Cancer Research, you will find diet, nutrition, and other prevention recommendations for reducing cancer risk.

Colorectal Research Foundation of America
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Web Page
Information about National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is available. Also, at the site are fact sheets, myths and facts about the disease, prevention information, and tips for talking to your doctor about the disease.

National Cancer Institute
Follow the 'types of cancer' link to get information on colorectal cancer, including statistics, treatment, clinical trials, prevention and risk factors, and testing for the disease.

National 5 A Day for Better Health Program
National Cancer Institute
This site provides an overview of the 5 A Day Program, the latest news from the National Cancer Institute, information on state programs, recipes and tips.

Screen for Life/National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Many materials are available for download, terms related to colorectal cancer and questions.

American College of Gastroenterology

American Dietetic Association

American Gastroenterological Association

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

American Society of Clinical Oncology
www.asco.org (for health care professionals)
www.oncology.org (for people living with cancer)

American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons

Association of Cancer Online Resources

Cancer Care

Cancer Net
Information for families and people with cancer on the emotional and practical aspects of their disease.

Cancer Prevention Research Center

Cancer Research Foundation of America

CancerSource

Center for Medical Consumers

Center for Shared Decision Making

Centers for Disease Control Prevention

Clinical Trials Network

Colon Cancer Alliance

Colorectal Cancer Network (the semi colon club)

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America

Digestive Disease National Coalition

Healthfinder

Intercultural Cancer Council

Life with Cancer

National Cancer Institute

National Coalition for Cancer Research

Prevencion, Inc.

Screen for Life National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign

STOP Colon/Rectal Cancer Foundation

The Wellness Community-National

Sources of Medical, Health, and Demographic Data

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  • The world's largest ongoing telephone data collection surveillance system co-sponsored by the CDC and state health departments.
  • Monitors changes in behavioral risk factors that impact health, e.g., smoking or participating in cancer screening.
  • Standard core questionnaire enables trends and prevalence data to be compared across states.
  • Designed to collect state-level data, although some states stratify their samples to allow them to estimate prevalence for regions within their state.
  • Data used by states and territories to create polices and initiatives to meet health-related goals and measure their success.

Cancer Statistics

  • American Cancer Society (ACS).
  • Tracking of cancer occurrence, including number of deaths, cases, and how long individuals survive after diagnosis.
  • Data on behaviors that influence the risk of developing cancer (e.g., tobacco use, dietary behaviors) and use of screening tests (e.g.. mammography, pap tests, and sigmoidoscopy).
  • Cancer Facts & Figures. Annual estimates of expected numbers of new cancer cases and deaths.
  • Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics. Information on cancer incidence, mortality, risk factors, and cancer screening in the Hispanic population. English and Spanish versions.
  • Cancer Facts & Figures for African Americans. Data on cancer incidence and mortality, survival, and risk factors (tobacco use, physical activity, obesity).
  • Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures. Data for the nation and states on tobacco use, nutrition, physical activity, and screening examinations.

Managed Care

  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
  • Managed care and Medicare + Choice reports, files, and data.
  • HEDIS summary data.
  • Metropolitan statistical areas.
  • Geographic service area reports - risk/cost.

Medicare and Medicaid Data Statistics

  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
  • Public use data files.
  • Resource-based practice expense data files.
  • Medicare part B physician/supplier data, including allowed services and charges and payment amounts.
  • Estimate benefit payments by state.
  • National health care indicators and expenditures.
  • Medicare enrollment.
  • Medicare utilization and expenditure tables.
  • Clinical practice expense program.
  • Actuarial data.
  • National health care data compendium.

National Cancer Database (NCDB)

  • American College of Surgeons (FACS).
  • Nationwide oncology outcomes database for over 1500 hospitals in 50 states.
  • Approximately 60% of all US cancer cases accessioned annually.
  • Cancer statistics by disease site.
  • Patient care evaluation studies. Annual ad hoc collection of specific data addressing important cancer problems.

National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)

  • A surveillance system that collects, analyzes, and interprets data on individuals diagnosed with cancer. Population-based registries can show incidence trends for various cancers over time or among different populations.
  • Cancer data reported to a central statewide registry from a variety of medical facilities, including hospitals, physicians' offices, therapeutic radiation facilities, freestanding surgical centers, and pathology laboratories.
  • Designed to determine cancer patterns among various populations; monitor cancer trends over time; guide planning and evaluation of cancer control programs (e.g., determine whether screening and other prevention measures are making a difference); help set priorities for allocating health resources; advance clinical, epidemiologic, and health services research; and provide information for an aggregated and centralized database of cancer incidence in the US.
  • Enables reporting of cancer data by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and area-within a state, between states, and between regions. Comprehensive, timely, and accurate data about cancer incidence, type of cancer, body site location, stage at diagnosis, first course of treatment, and outcome (death or survival).
  • Hotlinks provided to different states.

Scientific Resources

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  • Human embryonic stem cell registry.
  • NIH mammalian gene collection.
  • Model organisms for biomedical research.
  • National Cancer Institute (NCI) AIDS malignancy bank database.
  • NCI-supported human specimen resources.
  • Shared resources database.

State Data

  • American Cancer Society.
  • Cancer statistics published yearly.
  • Overview of cancer frequency, incidence, mortality, and survival statistics for the nation and states, with breakdowns by age, sex, and race.
  • Reports on number of individuals tested for various cancers and how many are at risk in each state. Includes colon and rectum cancer screening; mammography and clinical breast exam; Pap test for women 18 and older; physical activity (adults); overweight prevalence by gender (adults); tobacco use (adults and high school students).
  • Trends and goals for tobacco use (adults and use) and breast cancer detection.
  • Data sources, statistical notes, and suggested readings.

State Health Facts Online

  • Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
  • Health policy information on a broad range of issues such as managed care, health insurance coverage and the uninsured, Medicaid, Medicare, women's health, minority health, and HIV/AIDS.
  • Comprehensive and current health information for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories.
  • Information for single states and ability to compare and rank data across all 50 states and compare it to US totals.
  • Easy-to-read tables and color-coded maps.

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)

  • National Cancer Institute.
  • Most authoritative source of information on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in the US. Considered the standard for quality among cancer registries around the world.
  • Case ascertainment from states and geographic regions chosen so that SEER population is comparable to the general US population with regard to measures of poverty and education. SEER population tends to be somewhat more urban and have a higher proportion of foreign-born persons than the general US population.
  • Cancer incidence and survival data collected from population-based registries in five states (Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, New Mexico, Utah) and six metropolitan areas (Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco/Oakland, San Jose/Monterey and Seattle-Puget Sound).
  • Data covers approximately 14% of US population.

US Census Data

  • US Census Bureau.
  • Census 2000 data.
  • Assistance in acquiring and using census information.