Cancer Genetics

The Basics

Look through the various pages of Access Excellence, a national educational program in biology sponsored by Genentech, Inc.

Tour Blazing a Genetic Trail, a publication that covers the basics of genetics developed by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Developed by the Exploratorium, Diving into the Gene Pool explores genetics and the Human Genome Project from a variety of perspectives.

Check out the DNA Learning Center, an interactive educational site developed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Browse through the online Glossary of Genetic Terms, containing both audio and graphics, developed by the National Human Genome Research Institute.

MSNBC's Genetics section provides news on gene findings, gene therapy, and genetic testing.

Take an online course entitled, Morgan: A Genetics Tutorial, sponsored by Rutgers University.

Read about the Department of Energy and the Human Genome Project in To Know Ourselves, produced by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Available for download as Adobe PDF file.

Tumor Markers, provided by the NCI, presents an overview of substances like prostate-specific antigen (PSA) that can help detect the presence of cancer.

What You Need to Know About Cancer presents an overview of cancer including screening and detection, various tests, treatment options, and clinical trials.

Cancer Specifics

Look up words in Cancer Definitions, a glossary provided by the National Cancer Institute.

Cancer Genetics Overview, provided by the NCI, presents a thorough overview of what researchers currently know about cancer genetics.

Online Factsheet: Family Factor in Cancer (in PDF format)

Genes and Disease, developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, has a comprehensive section on cancer genetics.

Other Cancer: Hereditary Pancreatic Cancer (in PDF format) New!

CancerTrialsHelp.org, information for patients, caregivers, advocates and healthcare professionals including TrialCheck, a search engine for cancer clinical trials and "Cancer Research: A Guide to Clinical Trials", an interactive study guide. New!

Genetic Testing

Surf through Beyond Discovery: Human Gene Testing, part of the National Academy of Sciences web series of case studies that focuses on genetic testing.

View Who gets to Know Genetics and Privacy, read real stories written by the Public Broadcast System (PBS).

View an online presentation on understanding genetic testing provided by the National Cancer Institute.

For a more in-depth look, read Understanding Gene Testing, an online booklet provided by the National Cancer Institute.

Online Factsheets: New!

Genetic Counseling for Cancer Risk (in PDF format)

Genetic Testing for Cancer Risk (in PDF format)

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues

View major bills on the privacy of medical information introduced in the 106th Congress.

Medical Information Privacy and Security Act (S. 573)
Health Care Personal Information Nondisclosure Act (S. 578)
Medical Information Protection Act of 1999 (S. 881)

View Genetics Privacy and Legislation on the Human Genome Project Information Web Site.

Read Your Genes, Your Choices, a booklet on the Human Genome Project written by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Available for download as Adobe PDF file.