Contact:
Heather Goethe
703-299-1016
goetheh@asco.org

ALEXANDRIA, Va – The patient information website of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), has launched a comprehensive new section about cancer prevention, making the site one of the leading resources for information vital to the public about preventing a disease diagnosed in 1.4 million people each year and that claims 560,000 lives annually.  For more than five years, the People Living With Cancer website (www.plwc.org) has provided doctor-reviewed and -approved information about many aspects of cancer care including treatment, coping and survivorship. The site is unique among cancer websites in that it provides extensive information about more than 120 different cancer types and cancer-related syndromes that is reviewed and vetted by oncologists, oncology nurses, social workers and patient advocates.
 
However, now www.plwc.org is an even more useful resource for both the consumer public and cancer survivors. By providing information about cancer prevention, visitors to the site will learn things such as: why maintaining a healthy weight is important for cancer prevention and recovery from cancer; diet and nutrition recommendations for both a general audience and cancer survivors; the roles of fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and plant-based foods (soy, lycopene); and how alcohol consumption can affects cancer risk.

“The addition of new content about prevention on www.plwc.org represents a translation of ASCO’s newly developed curriculum series on the topic designed specifically for healthcare professionals who treat people with cancer,” said Diane Blum, MSW, Editor-in Chief of PLWC.org. “We’re using professional development information – the best information available – to provide the most accurate and complete data that’s out there about cancer prevention.”

Visitors to www.plwc.org will find the cancer prevention content divided into seven key topic areas including cancer screening, chemoprevention, diet and nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use, weight control and links to additional resources.

 “We want people visiting www.plwc.org to know they are getting the only information on the Internet that is consistently reviewed by oncology professionals and updated to reflect new research developments and clinical practice changes,” said Blum. 

 The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians of all oncology subspecialties who care for people with cancer. ASCO’s nearly 25,000 members from the United States and abroad set the standard for patient care and lead the efforts to discover more effective cancer treatments, increase funding for clinical and translational research and ultimately, improve cancer care for the estimated 10 million people diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year. ASCO publishes the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the preeminent, peer-reviewed medical journal on clinical cancer research and produces People Living With Cancer (www.plwc.org), a comprehensive consumer Web site providing oncologist-vetted cancer information to help patients and families make informed health care decisions.

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