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This
document contains some of the most frequently asked questions
regarding the Texas Cancer Data Center, the data we provide,
and how to access it. If you do not find the answer to your
question here, please feel free to e-mail us at tcdc@txcancer.org
or call us at (713)792-2277.
Questions regarding...
Access
Information Provided
Using TCDC Databases
Cancer Resource Data
Cancer Demographic Data
Cancer Gateway of Texas
Cancer Treatment and Prevention
Technical Questions
Access
Information Provided
Using TCDC Databases
Cancer Resource Data
Cancer Demographic Data
Cancer Gateway of Texas
Cancer Treatment and Prevention
Technical Questions
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Access
Q. Is
there any charge for using TCDC?
A.
There is no charge for using TCDC. There are also no charges
to cancer resource providers (physicians, hospitals, etc.)
for having their information listed in the TCDC resource databases.
The Texas Cancer Data Center is funded by the Texas
Cancer Council, the state agency whose goal is to improve
the availability and quality of cancer services and information
in Texas.
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Q. How
can I contact TCDC?
A.
Please visit our Contact TCDC
page for complete contact information
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Information Provided
Q.
What information does TCDC provide?
A.
The Texas Cancer Data Center (TCDC)
provides online cancer information on health professionals,
facilities and services, cancer statistics, population, and
community resources. You can learn more about what the TCDC
offers by reading the About the Texas Cancer Data Center
page.
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Q.
How often do you update your data?
A.
Individual entities in the databases are surveyed on an
annual basis. Databases are surveyed on a schedule throughout
the year. Survey results from all the databases are being
entered on an ongoing basis. New data is moved on-line weekly.
As new information regarding a facility or individual is obtained
between scheduled surveys, this information is updated and
the information date specified with that entry's listing is
updated accordingly. Cancer deaths and rates are updated annually
as available and population is updated as new projections
are available (either annually or biannually).
The date in the web site footer under "Site last updated" represents the last date any on-line data or web pages were updated or added. Please see the answer to the question regarding ensuring your browser is showing you the current footer in the technical questions section of this FAQ document.
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Q. Do you have any information on states other than
Texas? on other countries?
A.
No. The Texas Cancer Data Center is funded by the Texas
Cancer Council, a state agency, to maintain information on
Texas resources, services and statistics in Texas.
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Using TCDC Databases
Q. How
do I search a TCDC database?
A.
In most cases, you will click on the database you wish
to search (physicians, hospitals, etc.). You will then be
taken to a page containing a form. Fill out the form by selecting
the Texas region in which you are interested (Texas,
county, etc.). If you have chosen a region other than
Texas, select the number or name of your region or county from the associated drop down list or enter the city, name, or zip code as appropriate in the associated text box (Dallas, 77030, Jones, etc.).
Then choose any other options available (specialty, accreditation,
etc.). When you have made all your selections, click
on the Submit Query button.
For resource databases, summary information on database entries
which match your search criteria will then appear in alphabetical
order by city. If you want more information about any one
entry listed, simply click on the person/facility name
(hypertext link) and a complete listing for the entry will
appear.
If you do not get any matches to the search criteria you specified,
check that you have both clicked on the appropriate button for your region and supplied a valid value in the corresponding list/text box for that region. If you still do not get any matches, try expanding
your search by selecting a larger geographic region or by
being less restrictive with other criteria.
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Q. How
can I find an ACR accredited mammography service in my area?
(specific search example)
A.
Click on the star next to Cancer Resources for Texans
on the navigation bar on the left side of the screen or on the link on the
TCDC home page. Then click on the hypertext link
for Mammography Services. Click on radio button next to City. (You could select Zip Code
instead but remember, if there are many zip codes in your
city there may be no facilities/services located in your exact
zip code.) In the space next to City type the name of your city, replacing the text that says "-- type city name here --." For example, highlight "-- type city name here --" and then type "Fort Worth" (no quotes). If you are
looking for a low cost mammogram based on income, click the
radio button for Services with Sliding Scale Fee Available next
to the prompt Sliding Scale Fee Based on Income:.
If you will not be getting a referral from a physician for
a mammogram, click on the button for Services which Accept
Self-Referred Patients next to the Self-Referred Patients:
prompt. When you have selected all of your options, click
on the Submit Query
button. Summary information on services in your city will
appear in alphabetical order. If you want even more information
about a particular facility, click on the hypertext link for
that facility. Use the Back button on your browser to return
to your search results when you have finished reading the expanded information. If no services are listed for your
city, try your search again, this time selecting County and choosing your county's name from the adjacent drop down list.
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Q.
When I do a search, I do not get
any physicians/agencies/facilities listed on the screen?
A.
If the Web search has definitely stopped (no more
"comets/shooting stars" in Netscape, for example) and the
only information on your screen is your search criteria at
the top and disclaimer and e-mail address on the bottom, then there were no entries matching
your search criteria. If you do not get any matches to the search criteria you specified,
check that you have both clicked on the appropriate button for your region and supplied a valid value in the corresponding list/text box for that region. If you still do not get any matches, try expanding
your search by selecting a larger geographic region or by
being less restrictive with other criteria.
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Cancer Resource Data
Q. How
can I/my agency/my facility be included in the Texas Cancer
Data Center database? Is there a charge?
How can I update my/my agency's/my facility's listing on the
Texas Cancer Data Center database?
A.
There is no charge to be listed as a cancer resource provider in the TCDC resource databases. Contact TCDC via e-mail at tcdc@txcancer.org and a staff member will contact you regarding the appropriate
survey for a new listing or to verify any changes you wish
to make. You may also call and talk to a staff member directly
at (713)792-2277 or fax a request for a new listing to (713)794-1951.
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Q.
How can I post my event on the TCDC
Announcements & Events page?
A.
The Texas Cancer Data Center maintains lists and links
regarding training opportunities, seminars, and events involving
cancer which are available to Texans. Announcements and events
may apply to health professionals, patients, patients' families
and friends, or the general public. If you have an announcement
or event which you would like to share with Texans with a
special interest in cancer, please e-mail the
Texas Cancer Data Center at tcdc@txcancer.org
and someone will get in touch with you or call (713)792-2277.
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Q. Do
you have information on financial/legal/counseling services
for a cancer patient in my county?
A.
Click on Cancer Resources for Texans. Under the subheading "Cancer Information and Support Resources," select Local/Community Resources.
For Texas Region: select "Serves County", for
Select your county name from the drop down list. Then for Community Resource Category:
select, for example, "Additional Assistance - Financial" and
click on Submit Query. When all the results
have appeared on your screen you may print the information
from your browser print command. You may then wish to do additional
searches on Category "Support Groups", etc.
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Q. Do
you have information on my doctor?
A.
If you have not searched the TCDC physician database under
Cancer Resources for Texans, try this
first. You can search by the physician's last name. If you
do not know how to spell his/her name, try searching on his/her
city or county or specialty. If he still does not show up,
we probably do not have information on that particular physician.
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Cancer Demographic Data
Q. How
does the cancer mortality rate in my county compare to the
rates for other counties and to Texas as a whole?
A.
You can do custom comparisons of mortality from different
cancers in your county and other regions, including Texas
as a whole, on the Texas Demographics & Statistics
page. There are several other statistical topics on this page
which you may find useful.
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Q.
Do you have incidence data? Do you
have survival data?
A.
TCDC does not maintain incidence or survival data. There
is,
however, limited incidence and survival data available in
the on-line TCC publication of Impact
of Cancer on Texas, 6th Edition. The cancer incidence
analyses were produced by the Texas Department of Health Bureau
of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Cancer Registry
Division, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756, (512)467-2239
or 1-800-252-8059. The survival analyses of patients with
cancer were produced by the Tumor Registry Section of the
Department of Medical Informatics at The University of Texas
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
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Cancer Gateway of Texas
Q. What criteria is used for selecting links for inclusion in the Cancer Gateway of Texas?
A.
The link selection criteria for the Cancer Gateway of Texas includes:
-
Cancer Related
-
Educational/Informational - Purpose is primarily educational and/or informational. (Site is not overtly commercial. However, site may charge shipping and handling costs to cover mailing or production of materials.)
-
Responsibility - institution, organization, author, or sponsor is clearly identified.
-
Content - Content should have sources of information and credentials of authors indicated. Caveats and disclaimers are included and easily found. Dates that content was posted and updated should be indicated and easily found. Site is user-friendly and provides information that is relevant to the audience.
-
Credibility of Information - for example, reputation of hosting entity, accuracy of information, and/or scientific basis - expert opinion vs. systematic controlled studies, etc. as appropriate to subject matter.
-
Accessible - The site is consistently available and maintained. The site is accessible to the commonly used browsers, i.e., AOL, Internet Explorer, Netscape.
-
Feedback - feedback mechanism is easily available to users whether by phone, fax or email.
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Q. How can I suggest a link for inclusion in the Cancer Gateway of Texas?
A.
If you would like to suggest a link for inclusion in the Cancer Gateway of Texas, please e-mail gateway@txcancer.org. The Gateway Link Evaluation Committee reviews all proposed links according to predetermined criteria to assess the overall quality and usefulness of the information found on each site. The committee is made up of
representatives of three statewide professional education programs funded by the Texas Cancer Council to provide key Texas health care professionals with knowledge and skills necessary to promote cancer prevention and control. Programs represented include:
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Cancer Treatment and Prevention
Q. What
questions should I be asking my doctor about my cancer?
Where can I find out more information about my cancer and my
options?
A.
An excellent source of information, including "What Should
You Ask Your Doctor About (lung, colon,...) Cancer" is available from the
American Cancer Society. You can reach this information from
our site by going to the Demographics
and Statistics page and clicking on the last selection
- "American Cancer Society Information on Specific Cancers."
Once at the ACS page, scroll down until you see the selection
for that cancer. Once you are at the page for that cancer, select Treatment form the left navigation bar. You may also wish to call the Cancer Information
Service at 1-800-4-CANCER. When you call from Texas you are
automatically connected to the Texas office. They will be
able
to answer some of your questions and perhaps send you information
on the particular cancer.
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Q. How
can I prevent a specific cancer?
A.
To find information on cancer prevention, click on Demographics
& Statistics and go to the bottom of the page and click on
"American Cancer Society Information About Specific Cancers."
This will take you to a page on the ACS site that lists specific
cancers. Click on the cancer site in question and you will
find many questions to click on,
including how to prevent this cancer.
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Q. Do
you have any advice regarding the course of cancer treatment
I am receiving? Do you have any information about power lines,
radar, cellular phones, pesticides, etc. causing cancer? Do
you have information on cancer treatment protocols?
A.
TCDC does not maintain this type of information. TCDC
does not offer any medical advice. All medical information
found via TCDC and its associated links should be reviewed
with a health-care provider.
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Technical Questions
Q.
Why does the footer at the bottom of the home page always say the same date for "Site last updated?"
A.
This situation occurs most frequently with Internet Explorer browsers but may occur with Netscape browsers as well. The footer is a site-wide document that is displayed at the bottom of each HTML page except those generated via database searches. Different browsers handle the footer in different ways. To ensure that you have the most current footer and information date displayed in Netscape, click on the Reload button to make sure that you are not using a cached version of the page you are viewing. In Internet Explorer, you will probably have to delete your cached files. To do this, click on Tools then Internet Options. On the General tab, in the middle of the panel, you will see a section labeled Temporary Internet Files. Click on the Delete Files... button. Then click on Ok. When you return to the web page, click on the Refresh button, and the latest footer should be displayed along with the latest version of the web page.
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Q.
When I go back to my earlier search
results it tells me "Document expired...press Reload button." What happened?
A.
Pages generated when you submit your search criteria expire after a short time. Press the Reload button and the results will be recalculated.
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Q. I
am getting the message "Cannot retrieve
http://www.txcancer.org/scripts/mgwns.html" when I click
on the Submit Query button using my AOL
browser.
A.
We have been told by AOL that this is a problem with older
versions of their browser, but that it is not a problem with
the latest version. If you have the latest version and are
still having problems please contact AOL and tell them that
you are having trouble accessing NSAPI/ISAPI applications.
To really get the most out of the TCDC Web pages, you
can install and use Netscape for AOL or Microsoft Internet Explorer. There should be instructions
on downloading and installing these browsers included with your
AOL browser. Please feel free to contact tcdc for assistance
at tcdc@txcancer.org.
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Maintained by the Texas Cancer Data Center
Please send questions, comments, and suggestions to tcdc@txcancer.org
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