Publications

Cancer information in other languages

CIS Group Descriptions

Australia

The Cancer Council Victoria
The Cancer Information and Support Service, is part of The Cancer Council Victoria and responds to over 50,000 calls per year. Our Cancer Helpline is staffed by Nurse Counsellors who have post-graduate oncology qualifications. We provide telephone counselling, information and referral and literature at no cost to residents of Victoria.

We also provide the following programs:
Victorian Cancer Clinicians Communication Program, Breast Cancer Support Program, Breast Cancer Nurse Distance Education Program, Cancer Connect, Living with Cancer Education Program, Cancer Support Groups Program and Multi-Lingual Cancer Information Services.

We also provide information on cancer prevention and early detection for the general public. Our hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Website is http://www.cancervic.org.au/

Canada

Canadian Cancer Society's Cancer Information Service (CIS)
The Cancer Information Service (CIS) is a national, bilingual toll-free service whose mandate is to provide comprehensive and credible information about cancer and community resources to all Canadians in a personalized, confidential and timely manner.

As Canada’s source for cancer information, our goal is to reach a greater number of Canadians to encourage them to take steps toward cancer prevention, help them understand cancer and suggest community resources to support them.

Since its inception in 1996, the CIS has responded to over 500,000 inquiries from the general public, diagnosed cancer patients and healthcare professionals.
The CIS has four centres across Canada with over 65 Information Specialists providing cancer and community services information in English, French, Mandarin and Chinese. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm. Website: www.cancer.ca

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer.

United Kingdom

Macmillan Cancer Relief - Cancer Information and Support Services
Macmillan started to develop better access to information and support for people affected by cancer in 1999. We launched the Macmillan Cancerline which has responded to over110,000 enquiries. Macmillan also has a language line which enables the service to answer queries from people whose first language is not English and a minicom for those with hearing difficulties.

Macmillan provides Mobile Cancer Information Services which tour around the UK, which since starting in 2001 has been visited by around 12,000 people. Macmillan also builds capacity through partnerships with our National Health Service and other charity organisations through funding and providing expert advice on building, setting up and developing, locally appropriate Cancer Information and Support Services which respond to the diverse communities the service is intended to serve.

We have helped open over 50 local walk-in Cancer Information Services where people can visit and pick up information, meet other people affected by cancer, have counselling, participate in self management and support programmes, experience therapies e.g. aromatherapy or massage. These services are staffed by Cancer Information Nurses and Cancer Specialist Professionals, Therapists, Counsellors and volunteers.

USA

National Cancer Institute
The Cancer Information Service (CIS), a program of the U. S. National Cancer Institute, operates a network of 14 regional offices and provides cancer information and education to cancer patients and their families, the general public, and health professionals. The CIS serves the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and U.S. Territories Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4:30 pm local time.

The Information Service provides cancer information in English and Spanish through a toll-free number. It also provides smoking cessation information, publications, recorded information, a TTY line for the deaf and hard of hearing, a web-based instant messaging service, and a web site (http://www.cancer.gov).

The Partnership Program collaborates with partner organizations regionally to reach minority and medically underserved populations. The Research Initiative collaborates with researchers to conduct health communications research.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is 1 of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health in the United States.

Our mission is to support rigorous research on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), to educate and train researchers in CAM, and to disseminate information to the public and professionals on which CAM modalities work, which do not, and why. We sponsor conferences, educational programs, and exhibits; operate an information clearinghouse to answer inquiries and requests for information; provide a Web site and printed publications; and hold town meetings at selected locations in the United States.

The NCCAM Web site (nccam.nih.gov) includes publications, information for researchers, frequently asked questions, and links to other CAM-related resources. The NCCAM Clearinghouse is the public point of contact for scientifically based information on complementary and alternative medicine in English and Spanish.

Toll-free in the US: 1-888-644-6226. International: 301-519-3153.
E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov Web site: nccam.nih.gov

Last Updated: 8 January 2008