The Internet can be a great source of information, especially regarding experimental treatments. You may also find lists of ongoing clinical trials. Some patients go to chat rooms which provide a place to talk to others facing cancer who are being treated elsewhere and in a different fashion. However, all of this can be confusing and even misleading. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1 Not all cancers are the same, and even the same kind of cancer can act differently between patients. This depends on the type of cancer (e.g. colon, breast, etc), the stage (where it is found and if it has spread from the original tumor) and the tumor's grade (a feature of the tumor cells; high grade is usually more aggressive, low grade less so).

2 Not everyone tolerates the same treatment in the same way. We are all different and our bodies therefore react differently to drugs.

3 There are some treatments which have been proven by repeated studies to work in a certain percentage of patients. These generally become part of standard therapy. Experimental treatments are unproven, even if scientists hold great promise for them.

4 Although beneficial effects observed in animals are interesting leads to follow, they usually do not predict the outcome for humans.

5 Experimental treatments should be presented with an "informed consent" form explaining risks to you. An ethics committee should have approved the study, and there should be no exchange of money between you and the investigator.

6 You should be able to ask about previous experiences the the new treatments: how many people have received it, what were the benefits and what were the side effects.

7 Resist comparing your situation directly to other patients. Instead, ask for details about tumor type, stage, grade, etc. Then bring that information to your oncologist for help in making an appropriate comparison.

8 When you hear about a new treatment or an investigator who is recommended, check medical databases (e.g. PUBMED www.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/PUBMED) to see if the researcher has a publication track record. Generally reputable researchers publish their findings in widely read medical journals. This allows for public scrutiny of their results.