Now that we have some people involved with pancreatic cancer, it may be easier to extend into coverage of other GI cancers as well by having them bring in their colleagues. We really have a couple of limitations. First, we do need to raise some money to cover the costs of building and then producing some content (our faculty are paid modestly for writing posts and checking in regularly on the site to help answer Qs, though I personally don't get paid). We also want to ensure that we can successfully reach out to the communities we're trying to serve right now, namely pancreatic and breast and head/neck, with a combination of online advertising and social media. Right now, they're pretty much empty, which is largely because we haven't been able to cultivate connections with online communities for those fields yet.
If we knew that there is an online audience for colon cancer that would be interested in our developing a subject area about it, that would certainly help move it to a very high place as a next area to focus on.
I would like to advocate for extending coverage for gyn cancers especially endometrial ca. This is a very under served area. If you google endometrial ca there is 1-2 online community sites and they are not well developed. It may also be an area that your breast medical oncologists might have expertise in?
I know you have budget limitations at this point but I thought I would mention this in case things change.
I agree it's under-served. It's high on our list, and a handful of women with gyn tumors have participated on the GRACE site in the last few months, even in the absence of any meaningful data here. That probably speaks to the dire need.
Unfortunately, I don't think most of the breast cancer specialists feel like they really have sufficient mastery/competence of gynecologic oncology to cover that as well. But I would definitely like to get to covering gyn onc needs.
Dr. West, in regards to your response about level interest in colon cancer I participate in the colorectal cancer forum at the American Cancer Society site. the forums are by cancer type and colorectal is the second largest. It and breast cancer are far ahead of the others in terms of posts and response, so I would say there is a clear interest. Unfortunately, the quality of the posts at ACS and the lack of organization by subject is a problem, so I consider the forums to be marginal at best.
GRACE, on the other hand, is unique so far as I can tell in having qualified MDs participate in answering questions. Additionally, the forum design is a lot more logical.
I can only hope your faculty grows and word gets out to a larger audience
OK --- you've renewed my interest. If I can bring in a couple of people really focused on colon cancer, could you help get the word out to the online community?
in service of that, and as GRACE has expertise in lung cancer, does it make sense, in general, to refer someone to GRACE at this point if they have questions about lung metastases which are secondary to colon cancer or is this such a different animal than lung cancer as the primary that it requires different expertise?
Sorry, I overlooked that. Unfortunately, that's in the realm of colon cancer management. In cancer care, treatment is directed far more by where the cancer originated than by where it happens to land.
I pledge that I'll make a concerted effort to bring in 1-2 people ASAP with an expertise in colon cancer.
Reply # - March 4, 2012, 12:58 PM
Reply To: Colon cancer
Now that we have some people involved with pancreatic cancer, it may be easier to extend into coverage of other GI cancers as well by having them bring in their colleagues. We really have a couple of limitations. First, we do need to raise some money to cover the costs of building and then producing some content (our faculty are paid modestly for writing posts and checking in regularly on the site to help answer Qs, though I personally don't get paid). We also want to ensure that we can successfully reach out to the communities we're trying to serve right now, namely pancreatic and breast and head/neck, with a combination of online advertising and social media. Right now, they're pretty much empty, which is largely because we haven't been able to cultivate connections with online communities for those fields yet.
If we knew that there is an online audience for colon cancer that would be interested in our developing a subject area about it, that would certainly help move it to a very high place as a next area to focus on.
-Dr. West
Reply # - March 8, 2012, 10:11 AM
Reply To: Colon cancer
I would like to advocate for extending coverage for gyn cancers especially endometrial ca. This is a very under served area. If you google endometrial ca there is 1-2 online community sites and they are not well developed. It may also be an area that your breast medical oncologists might have expertise in?
I know you have budget limitations at this point but I thought I would mention this in case things change.
Reply # - March 8, 2012, 06:44 PM
Reply To: Colon cancer
I agree it's under-served. It's high on our list, and a handful of women with gyn tumors have participated on the GRACE site in the last few months, even in the absence of any meaningful data here. That probably speaks to the dire need.
Unfortunately, I don't think most of the breast cancer specialists feel like they really have sufficient mastery/competence of gynecologic oncology to cover that as well. But I would definitely like to get to covering gyn onc needs.
-Dr. West
Reply # - July 19, 2012, 01:27 AM
Reply To: Colon cancer
Dr. West, in regards to your response about level interest in colon cancer I participate in the colorectal cancer forum at the American Cancer Society site. the forums are by cancer type and colorectal is the second largest. It and breast cancer are far ahead of the others in terms of posts and response, so I would say there is a clear interest. Unfortunately, the quality of the posts at ACS and the lack of organization by subject is a problem, so I consider the forums to be marginal at best.
GRACE, on the other hand, is unique so far as I can tell in having qualified MDs participate in answering questions. Additionally, the forum design is a lot more logical.
I can only hope your faculty grows and word gets out to a larger audience
Reply # - July 19, 2012, 07:59 PM
Reply To: Colon cancer
OK --- you've renewed my interest. If I can bring in a couple of people really focused on colon cancer, could you help get the word out to the online community?
-Dr. West
Reply # - July 20, 2012, 12:17 AM
Reply To: Colon cancer
Yes, I will certainly help get the word out..
in service of that, and as GRACE has expertise in lung cancer, does it make sense, in general, to refer someone to GRACE at this point if they have questions about lung metastases which are secondary to colon cancer or is this such a different animal than lung cancer as the primary that it requires different expertise?
Reply # - July 20, 2012, 02:07 AM
Reply To: Colon cancer
Just wanted to endorse your interesting question about mets to the lungs from bowel cancer, and whether that would be covered by GRACE.
Reply # - July 20, 2012, 01:27 PM
Reply To: Colon cancer
Where's that question?
Reply # - July 20, 2012, 03:50 PM
Reply To: Colon cancer
Dr West I think certain spring is refering to my post of 12:17am in this string
Reply # - July 20, 2012, 10:01 PM
Reply To: Colon cancer
Sorry, I overlooked that. Unfortunately, that's in the realm of colon cancer management. In cancer care, treatment is directed far more by where the cancer originated than by where it happens to land.
I pledge that I'll make a concerted effort to bring in 1-2 people ASAP with an expertise in colon cancer.
-Dr. West