Cancer guides for patients and caregivers

Plain-language cancer guides

• What is chemotherapy? — A plain-English guide to what chemotherapy is, how it works, how it is given, and what to ask before treatment.
• What is immunotherapy? — Learn what cancer immunotherapy means, why it is different from chemotherapy, and what patients should ask before treatment.
• What does stage 2 cancer mean? — A plain-language explanation of stage 2 cancer, why staging differs by cancer type, and which questions to ask your care team.
• Radiation therapy side effects — Understand why radiation side effects happen, why they depend on the treated area, and when to call your cancer care team.
• How to find cancer clinical trials — A practical guide to finding cancer clinical trials, understanding eligibility, and discussing trial options with your oncology team.
• Cancer stage vs. cancer grade — Understand the difference between cancer stage and tumor grade, and why both may matter in treatment planning.
• Questions to ask your oncologist — A practical checklist of questions to ask after a cancer diagnosis or before starting a new treatment.
• What is targeted therapy? — A plain-language guide to targeted cancer therapy, biomarker testing, side effects, and questions to ask.
• Biomarker testing for cancer — Understand biomarker testing, tumor markers, mutation testing, and why results can affect cancer treatment choices.
• What does metastatic cancer mean? — A plain-language explanation of metastatic cancer, distant spread, stage 4, and what to ask after a metastatic diagnosis.
• Palliative care in cancer — Learn what palliative care means in cancer, how it differs from hospice, and why it can be used alongside treatment.
• How to read a cancer pathology report — Understand common parts of a cancer pathology report, including diagnosis, grade, margins, lymph nodes, and biomarker results.
• What is a biopsy for cancer? — Learn why biopsies are done, common biopsy types, how samples are processed, and what questions to ask before a biopsy.
• PET, CT, and MRI scans in cancer — Understand how PET, CT, and MRI scans can be used in cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and follow-up.
• Neutropenia during cancer treatment — Learn what neutropenia means, why infection risk matters during cancer treatment, and when to call your care team.
• Nausea and vomiting during cancer treatment — A practical guide to nausea and vomiting from cancer treatment, prevention plans, and when to contact your care team.
• Cancer-related fatigue — Learn why cancer-related fatigue happens, what can make it worse, and what to ask your care team.
• Hair loss from chemotherapy — Understand why some chemotherapy causes hair loss, what to expect, and what questions to ask before treatment.
• Cancer clinical trial phases — Learn the difference between phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, and phase 4 cancer clinical trials.
• Getting a second opinion for cancer — Learn when a second opinion may help, what records to gather, and how to talk with your oncology team.