Ordering National Cancer Institute Publications
Key Points
- The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) publications are free. Orders of more than 20 copies are subject to a fee for shipping and handling (see Question 2).
- The number of copies of individual titles that may be ordered varies depending on current inventory (see Question 3).
- Organizations can print extra copies of some NCI publications through NCI’s Contents & Covers and Ride-On Printing programs (see Question 5).
- How do people within the United States place orders for National Cancer Institute (NCI) publications?
Orders may be placed online through the NCI Publications Locator Web site. Orders may also be placed by calling the Publications Ordering Service (POS). The POS, a service of NCI’s Cancer Information Service, can be reached by calling toll-free 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) and selecting the option to order publications. The POS is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern time. Orders may also be sent by fax to 301–330–7968 or mailed to:
National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS Publications Ordering Service Post Office Box 24128 Baltimore, MD 21227 - Is there a charge for ordering NCI publications?
NCI’s publications are free, and orders for up to 20 items are shipped at no charge. Such an order may consist of 20 copies of one title or any combination of titles, up to a total of 20 items. Bulk orders of greater than 20 items incur a shipping and handling fee of 15 cents per copy, with a minimum charge of $8. Current federal government budgetary constraints and NCI’s commitment to meeting the increasing demand for information about cancer have made these charges necessary. A program to recover costs of shipping and handling helps to ensure that the information needs of cancer patients, their families, health professionals, and the general public are met.
- Is there a limit to the number of copies of publications that can be ordered?
The number of copies of individual titles that may be ordered varies depending on current inventory. To ensure publications are available to all requesters, NCI may set limits on the maximum number of copies that may be ordered by any one requester each month. For information on the current availability of NCI materials, please call the POS at 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) or visit the NCI Publications Locator Web site.
- How often can publications be ordered?
Cancer patients, their families, and the general public may order NCI publications as often as necessary to fulfill their needs. However, in order to maintain an adequate supply of publications, NCI requests that health professionals and organizations place bulk orders for individual titles no more than once a month.
- If my organization needs more publications than we can order, how can we get more copies?
Organizations that wish to obtain more copies of NCI materials have several options, which are described below. More information about each option can be found on the NCI Publications Locator Self-Printing Options Web page.
Self-Printing Option: Organizations can print individual copies of a publication by visiting the NCI Publications Locator Web site and choosing the View/Print option in search results. Most publications can then be printed using the View/Print PDF option in Page Options.
Contents & Covers Option: This option gives organizations the flexibility to either download and print both contents and covers, or order professionally printed covers and just download and print the contents. For more information and to see which materials are currently available for this option, visit the NCI Publications Locator Web site and look for Contents & Covers in the Collections section.
Ride-On Option: Organizations may purchase more copies of NCI materials by adding on to the government’s print order. Adding on to a government print order is called a “Ride-On.” A Ride-On allows organizations to purchase extra copies of publications more economically because of lower government printing costs. For more information about Ride-On printing, see the NCI Office of Communications and Education Ride-On Printing fact sheet or contact NCI’s Office of Communications and Education by e-mail at ncipoetinfo@mail.nih.gov.
- How are NCI publications shipped?
Most orders are shipped within 2 business days from NCI’s Distribution Center in Baltimore, Maryland, by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and should arrive within 3 business days of shipment. Bulk orders are shipped by USPS or FedEx within 5 business days. In the continental United States, orders shipped by USPS should arrive within 10 business days, and FedEx orders should arrive within 5 business days after shipment, depending on geographic location.
- What are the methods of payment for orders?
Arrangements for payment of shipping and handling charges must be made in advance. Payment for bulk orders placed by phone or through the NCI Publications Locator Web site must be made by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or American Express only). Orders placed by mail can be paid by check, money order, or credit card. Purchase orders must be faxed to 410–646–3117. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the Publications Ordering Service. Payments for bulk orders should be mailed to the following address:
National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS Publications Ordering Service Post Office Box 24128 Baltimore, MD 21227 - Is there a charge for rush orders?
The charge for rush orders is the actual cost of the expedited shipping. This charge is in addition to the shipping and handling fee that is applied to bulk orders. Payment for rush orders must be made via credit card at the time of ordering. VISA, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted. To place a rush order, please call the POS at 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) and select the option to order publications.
- How are underpayments, overpayments, and refunds handled?
Underpayments:
If an order is underpaid, the quantity of materials shipped is adjusted down.Overpayments:
If an order is overpaid by $10 or less, the quantity of the materials shipped is adjusted upward. Overpayments of more than $10 are refunded by check in the amount of the overpayment.Refunds:
The POS does not make refunds or offer exchanges on orders after they have been shipped. In the event of a shipping error on the part of the POS, a refund and/or free replacement of the order will be provided. - Can people outside the United States order NCI publications?
Yes. It is NCI policy to send up to five publications without a shipping charge to individuals or organizations outside the United States. All international orders for six or more publications are charged actual shipping costs. International orders are limited to 100 total copies, based on current inventory availability.
Requests for materials to be sent to a non-U.S. address can be submitted as follows:
E-mail: ncioceocs@mail.nih.gov Fax: 301–330–7968 Mail: National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS
Publications Ordering Service
Post Office Box 24128
Baltimore, MD 21227The process for ordering six or more items is as follows:
- The requester submits a list of requested materials to the POS and includes complete shipping address and contact information (fax number or e-mail address).
- POS responds with the shipping cost of the order.
- The requester mails, faxes, or e-mails the list of requested materials and payment (credit card preferred; check or money order in U.S. currency) to the address or fax number above. VISA, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards are accepted.
- The order is shipped when payment is received.
- How can people find out more about the NCI publications distribution policy?
Additional information about NCI’s publications distribution policy is available by calling the POS toll-free at 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) and selecting the option to order publications.
Related NCI materials and Web pages:
- NCI Office of Communications and Education Ride-On Printing Fact Sheet
- NCI Copyright and Reuse of Graphics and Text Web Page
- NCI Publications Locator, Self-Printing Options Web Page
How can we help?
We offer comprehensive research-based information for patients and their families, health professionals, cancer researchers, advocates, and the public.
- Call NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237)
- Visit us at http://www.cancer.gov or http://www.cancer.gov/espanol
- Chat using LiveHelp, NCI’s instant messaging service, at http://www.cancer.gov/livehelp
- E-mail us at cancergovstaff@mail.nih.gov
- Order publications at http://www.cancer.gov/publications or by calling 1–800–4–CANCER
- Get help with quitting smoking at 1–877–44U–QUIT (1–877–448–7848)
