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Happy Birthday to OncoLink!

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Last Modified: July 11, 2006

On March 7, 1994 OncoLink was launched on the World Wide Web as the first cancer information resource. Since that first month when OncoLink received 37,000 "hits", the website has continued to thrive. We now receive 9-11 million "hits" per month from over 350,000 unique IP addresses. OncoLink's success is due in large part to the vision and dedication of Founding Editor, Joel Goldwein, MD. His vision of providing up-to-date, accurate information to patients, families and healthcare providers remains a core objective. There is an incredible group of dedicated physicians, nurses, social workers, and Internet technologists that continually update and modify OncoLink. Our users have submitted numerous survival stories, poems, and other unique works of art for incorporation into the OncoLink website. Our constant feedback from users through our Ask the Experts section has helped us tailor the site to the varying needs of the patients and healthcare providers that utilize the website. This has allowed OncoLink to develop a unique niche on the Internet, that we, as an editorial staff, treasure and pledge to uphold.

The future of OncoLink remains bright. Current initiatives include expansion of the clinical trials matching service, which was the first ever introduced online. As broadband access is increasing, we will continue to webcast important events in the cancer community. In fact, 3 webcasts are already planned for April and May 2003. We will continue to expand our coverage of important cancer conferences to give patients, families, and healthcare providers the most rapid updates possible on the newest treatments. Later this year, an OncoLink book series will be released in a print media format. We will also be expanding our online research program with numerous surveys and opportunities for users to participate in furthering the knowledge of participating researchers.

Most of all, we want to thank the millions of cancer patients and families who have used this resource over the past 9 years. We hope to continue providing the most accurate, dependable, and timely information to our users for many years to come. We also appreciate and welcome your comments.

Please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,
James M. Metz, MD
Editor-in-Chief