Not Sure Where to Begin?
Start With What You Need Today
Newly Diagnosed
If you were recently diagnosed, start here. This page covers the few things worth focusing on first without overwhelming you with everything at once.
Start here →Preparing for an Oncology Appointment
Organize your questions, symptoms, medications, records, and priorities before meeting with your cancer care team.
Prepare for your appointment →Preparing for Treatment
What I learned from treatment days, including what to bring, how to stay comfortable, what happens before treatment, and how to build your own routine.
Prepare for treatment →Questions to Ask Your Doctor
A practical question bank covering diagnosis, testing, treatment, side effects, daily life, and what may happen next.
View the questions →Understanding Common Cancer Terms
Plain-language explanations of words such as stage, grade, metastasis, biopsy, biomarkers, remission, progression, and more.
Learn common terms →Building Your Support System
Ideas for coordinating rides, appointments, meals, household help, communication, and the people who can make cancer life easier.
Build your support system →Before You Try Something New
Be Careful With Cancer Information Online
The internet can be incredibly useful when you are trying to understand cancer, but it can also be filled with misinformation, exaggerated claims, personal anecdotes presented as medical evidence, and products promising results they cannot prove.
Do not blindly trust something simply because it sounds convincing, has thousands of views, or worked for someone in a video or social media post. Be especially cautious with claims that a food, supplement, herb, diet, device, or alternative treatment can “cure” cancer, replace proven treatment, or work for everyone.
Some supplements, herbs, foods, and other products can also interact with cancer medications and change how treatment works in the body. The National Cancer Institute recommends discussing supplements and complementary products with your care team, and the FDA warns that fraudulent cancer treatments are commonly promoted through websites and social media.
Before starting, stopping, or changing a treatment, supplement, diet, medication, or other health practice, talk with your doctor or cancer care team.
That includes information you find here on Canceromachy. This website is meant to help you learn, prepare questions, and explore ideas — not replace the medical professionals who know your diagnosis, treatment plan, medications, and overall health.
A good question to bring to your care team is simply:
“I found this online. Does it make sense for my situation, and could it interfere with my treatment?”
One Step at a Time
You Do Not Have to Read Everything
There is a lot of information on this site because cancer can affect a lot of different parts of life. That does not mean you need all of it right now.
Use what helps. Skip what does not apply to you. Come back when a new question appears.
The goal of Start Here is simply to help you find the next useful page.
