NCI's CIS Celebrates 30 Years

In 1971, the National Cancer Act greatly broadened NCI's scope and responsibilities. In addition to conducting and supporting research and training the next generation of investigators, NCI was also tasked with providing patients and health professionals with comprehensive, accurate information on the most recent advances in cancer treatment and prevention.

This mandate led to the establishment of NCI's Cancer Information Service (CIS) in 1975. CIS provides education and information to cancer patients and the public, partners with organizations that reach minority and underserved communities, and collaborates on health communications research. Today, there are 15 regional CIS offices funded by NCI through competitively awarded contracts.  Read more  

NCI's CIS will join the International Cancer Information Service Group (ICISG) and International Union Against Cancer (UICC) to host a full-day workshop this summer to help other nations, including some developing countries, learn "How to Start a CIS."

The workshop will take place July 8, a day before UICC's World Cancer Congress 2006 meeting starts in Washington, D.C. Ten years ago at UICC's annual meeting in Australia, NCI and leaders from several other nations formed ICISG to foster development of high-quality cancer information services and resources on all aspects of cancer for those concerned with or affected by cancer throughout the world. In addition to the pre-Congress workshop, ICISG is also contributing to several workshops and a plenary session on CIS programs at UICC's July meeting.  Read more  

The NCI Cancer Bulletin is produced by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI, which was established in 1937, leads the national effort to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. Through basic, clinical, and population-based biomedical research and training, NCI conducts and supports research that will lead to a future in which we can identify the environmental and genetic causes of cancer, prevent cancer before it starts, identify cancers that do develop at the earliest stage, eliminate cancers through innovative treatment interventions, and biologically control those cancers that we cannot eliminate so they become manageable, chronic diseases. For more information on cancer, call 1-800-4-CANCER or visit http://www.cancer.gov. NCI Cancer Bulletin staff can be reached at ncicancerbulletin@mail.nih.gov.