Knowledge is Power MPIP Information Resources

Mission, history and policies of the MPIP

Information about the Patient Support services available on the MPIP Bulletin Board Chat Room PatNet Patient's Perspective Guest Book

Informational resources available on the MPIPLibrary Clinical Trials Abstract Search Therapy of Melanoma

Explanation of the tools available on the MPIPGlossifier Staging Calculator Prognostic Calculator Medical Dictionary

Information about other services providedBook Store Travel Help

Search the MPIP or the web

Other web sites of interest to melanoma patients

MPIP Home

One of the primary reasons this site exists is to provide you the patient or caregiver with the information resources you need to take a proactive role in the management of your treatment. Being proactive does not mean going it alone. Rather it means arming yourself with the information necessary to be an active participant, along with your physicians and other health care providers, in treatment decisions that could have the most profound effect on your life.

Taking this kind of active role may not be for everyone. It takes a lot of hard work and you will encounter statistics which may make you fearful. Before embarking on this endeavor, we suggest your take the time to read The Median isn't the Message by Stephen Jay Gould, a Harvard biologist and cancer patient. His essay on cancer statistics will help you keep the proper perspective as you research your treatment options. If you do decide to research your options or to have someone else do it for you, we hope to provide you with the very best available information.

Information Resources on the MPIP

Research Library
Our library contains hundreds of melanoma specific articles organized by subject. Each article is reviewed for relevancy and legitimacy before it is added to the collection. The links are reviewed on a continuous basis to eliminate broken and outdated links.

Patient Abstract Search
Research abstracts are short summaries of medical research published in various medical journals around the world. They are very useful to patients and their physicians in finding new experimental treatments because the results of clinical trials will be published in a journal long before the results become common knowledge to the medical community at large. Our unique interface to the NCI's PubMed abstract database allows you to retrieve only those abstracts helpful in making treatment decisions.

Clinical Trial Center
Use our clinical trial center to locate a trial for new experimental therapies being tested at an institution near you. Many of these treatments are provided free of charge to the patient.

Therapy of Melanoma Abstracts
Each month the National Cancer Institute publishes short summaries of melanoma research results (called an Abstract) and makes them available to the public in a journal called Therapy of Melanoma. We provide here a convenient interface for obtaining these publications.

 
Go to the MPIP Home