Welcome to alt.support.cancer
If you've been diagnosed with cancer and want support or information, come
in and post.

Be sure to include symptoms, tumor locations, diagnosis, staging, grade,
and any other relative information that may help the group to understand
your post. If you're 99% sure you have cancer (bloodwork or biopsy), no
need to wait for all the outstanding information, like Stage. Come in and
post.  Despite some questionable topics here, there are some of us here to
help and support you.

All advanced or end stage cancers and/or companion or caregiver or loved
ones (of same) are welcome on alt.support.cancer.  (if it's breast or
prostate cancer, you may wish to compare ongoing chemos or hormone related
treatments on the breast or prostate cancer newsgroup).

Steph, seasoned clinical radiation oncologist is here for questions and to
discuss evidence based medicine.
(amongst other topics)

If you're a companion or caregiver or loved one of a current cancer
patient, you're welcome here as well.  Supporters and caregivers are here
to lend support and share things, with you, that might help.

Please do not ask us to e-mail you for information; after all, this is a
newsgroup. If it can't be posted to the group, it won't pass the smell
test. (ie  there's nobody to double-check the information being given if
it's emailed).

Patients and caregivers please do not post your (full) name, address, or
telephone number on this newsgroup. It is OK to remain anonymous.  If you
use the same screen name as someone else here, you may be asked to
slightly change it, to differentiate one person from the other.

Please use good netiquette, trim quoted material (long messages) or
unnecessary cross posting in your replies.
Aoid top posting (put your reply below the other's and snip text out) and
SHOUTING (CAPS is shouting).

Don't assume that your message will be read at the same time as the post
you are replying to, and don't assume that all readers will be using a
threaded newsreader. By quoting the relevant parts of the message you are
replying to, it provides a context for your reply.
Your message will make more sense to readers if you reply below quoted
text. This is true if the reader has not seen the post to which you are
replying, or reads it out-of-order.

Some people may be referred elsewhere; for example, Cathy's EC Cafe
(esophageal) or stay here if they prefer
Referrals:
For example breast or prostate cancer: alt.support.cancer.breast and
alt.support.cancer.prostate (respectively)
So they can compare notes on treatments specific to their cancers.
Other examples:
The ACOR lists for Head and Neck, or for mesothelioma. Ask and we'll let
you know where you'll be best served.
Other examples of referrals: Different places for leukemias and
lymphomas.  So they can compare notes on types of, symptoms and treatments
specific to their cancers. Or questions specific to those types of
cancers.

Your Outlook Express, combined with your ISP's instructions, can be used
to read and post to newsgroups.
Other newsreaders: Forte Agent, Netscape Communicator, Thunderbird, Xnews,
WebTV.  The best newsreader is usually the one where you can filter
(block/.delete) poster's posts (aka bozo bin) and filter (block/delete)
threads (off topics). And which you can use to "munge" your email address.

Alternative ways to access newsgroups are:
Using Google and/or talkaboutsupport.com
Each has its pros and cons

Copy and paste, the one you wish to access, into your browser.
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.cancer
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.cancer.breast
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.cancer.prostate
and
http://talkaboutsupport.com/group/alt.support.cancer/
http://talkaboutsupport.com/group/alt.support.cancer.breast/
http://talkaboutsupport.com/group/alt.support.cancer.prostate/
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If your posts are more about medicines (in the news), clinical trial
results, the pros and cons of (your favorite) supplements, Medline
studies, post on sci.med.diseases.cancer (unless specifically requested by

a patient or caregiver).
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.diseases.cancer

I often post "new" medications or clinical trials, that might be of
interest, to sci.med.diseases.cancer as well.
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Some people have complained about too many "grieving" posts, so after
condolences, many posters are referred elsewhere.  If they wish to stay,
as supporters, that's all right, as long as they can follow the
guidelines.
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If you think you have signs and/or symptoms of cancer (and never had
cancer), I encourage you to a) see your doctor and/or b) ask about it on
news:sci.med where there's several or more doctors.  I watch that
newsgroup as well, for cancer patients.
Or on the breast or prostate cancer newsgroup (see above), whichever you
feel is relevant to your signs or symptoms.
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Repeat: there are some of us here to help and support you.
J