• Before you start your internet search, think about what you want to find out, and what you will do with the information when you've got it. Be clear about your aims.
  
   
• Throughout this site you'll find lists of questions to ask your doctors and others in your healthcare team. You may want to ask these first, before you widen your information search. Give your team the opportunity to answer your questions. Don't be afraid to speak out if you feel you aren't getting the level of information you need. When you've found the information you're looking for, you may have follow-up questions for your team.
  
   
• Don't type cancer into your search engine. You'll get too many sites, and you won't know where to start. If you do want to use the search facility on your computer, try to be as specific as you can, to narrow down your search.
  
   
• In 'Cancer types' on this website there are links within each section to sources of further information about the specific cancer concerned.
  
   
• Another good place to start is with some of the major UK sites. Cancerbackup and CancerHelp (Cancer Research UK) are excellent sites, with information on many types of cancer and related topics. 
  
  There are also many good UK sites dealing with particular types of cancer – for example, Breast Cancer Care, Leukaemia Research Fund and Myeloma UK.
  
   
• There are also many reputable international sites, but remember that medical practice may vary from country to country and what you read may not necessarily reflect your treatment in the UK.

  Good US sites include Oncolink (University of Pennsylvania), the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.
  
   

• Cancer Index is a guide to internet resources for cancer. It is very useful for tracking down websites on a wide range of cancers and related subjects.
  
   
• If you're looking for good-quality general health websites to explore a range of topics (not just cancer), good ones to start with are NHS Direct and the BBC's health site.
  
   
• Evaluating web pages. Techniques to apply and questions to ask
  A page from the University of California in Berkeley in the format of a tutorial on how to evaluate web pages, including questions to ask and techniques you can use.
   

Always remember:

There are many websites about cancer, but the best people to advise you on your illness and treatment are your own specialist doctors, and others in your healthcare team.