Cancer is complicated.
We make it easier to understand.
Plain-language, evidence-based guidance for people with cancer, caregivers, and anyone worried about symptoms.
Examples: breast cancer, staging, chemotherapy side effects, colonoscopy, immunotherapy
Our mission
Free plain-language cancer education for patients, caregivers, and the public.
Cancer Explained is the public education program of the National Cancer Information Foundation, an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. We turn National Cancer Institute resources into plain-language explanations, guided reading paths and practical tools, and we give them away — to patients, caregivers, families, and anyone worried about a symptom. Everything here is free: no ads, no paywall, no account, in English and Spanish.
About us →Our mission & principles →Nonprofit status & governance →
What we provide
- plain-language articles
- 2,841 plain-language articles
- answered questions
- 462 answered questions
- Spanish-language articles
- 459 Spanish-language articles
- verified support services
- 102 verified support services
- National Cancer Information Foundation — a Wyoming public benefit nonprofit corporation, recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on July 13, 2026.
- EIN 42-3639534 — donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
What brings you here today?
Tell us where you are, and we’ll take you to the right place.
- I am worried about symptoms
- I was just diagnosed
- I am caring for someone
- I am living with or after cancer
Prefer to browse everything yourself? Explore everything →
Newly diagnosed?
It is normal to feel overwhelmed. Start with plain answers to the questions most people have in the first week.
If this feels like an emergency, call 911.Otherwise call your cancer care team — most have a 24-hour number. Signs that need care now →
Understand cancer step by step
Common questions after a cancer diagnosis
Explore Cancer Explained
- Cancer typesLearn about specific types of cancer.Explore →
- Tests & scansUnderstand tests, scans, and procedures.Explore →
- TreatmentsTreatment options and approaches.Explore →
- Side effectsWhat to expect and how to manage them.Explore →
- Reports & resultsMake sense of lab and pathology reports.Explore →
- Cancer termsDefinitions of common cancer words.Explore →
Cancer words, explained simply
Every term on the site is defined in plain language, based on National Cancer Institute resources.
Metastasis
The process by which cancer cells spread from where they first formed to another part of the body.
Stage
The extent of a cancer, such as how large the tumor is and whether it has spread.
Biopsy
A procedure in which a doctor removes a sample of abnormal tissue so a pathologist can examine it under a microscope. It is often the only way to tell for sure if you have cancer.
Chemotherapy
A type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells or stop their growth. Also called chemo.
Latest cancer news
Plain-language summaries of new research, approvals and public health news.
- Drug approvals & regulationFDA Approval: Revumenib (Revuforj) for Acute LeukemiaIn November 2024 the FDA approved revumenib (Revuforj), the first menin inhibitor, for relapsed or refractory acute leukemia with a KMT2A translocation.
- Clinical trial resultsNADINA Trial: Immunotherapy Before Melanoma SurgeryThe NADINA trial found two cycles of ipilimumab plus nivolumab before stage III melanoma surgery improved event-free survival over adjuvant nivolumab.
- Clinical trial resultsLAURA Trial: Osimertinib for Stage III Lung CancerThe LAURA trial led FDA to approve osimertinib after chemoradiation for unresectable stage III EGFR-mutated lung cancer. What the numbers show and don't.
- Clinical trial resultsINTERLACE Trial: Induction Chemo in Cervical CancerThe INTERLACE trial found six weeks of induction chemotherapy before chemoradiation improved survival in locally advanced cervical cancer. The numbers.
- Clinical trial resultsCROWN Trial: Lorlatinib in ALK-Positive Lung CancerCROWN trial 5-year results: 60% on lorlatinib had no progression of ALK-positive advanced lung cancer at 5 years. What PFS means, plus side-effect tradeoffs.
- Clinical trial resultsCHALLENGE Trial: Exercise After Colon Cancer ChemoThe CHALLENGE trial found a 3-year structured exercise program after colon cancer chemotherapy improved disease-free and overall survival. Key numbers.
Your support creates clarity and hope.
As a nonprofit, we create free, evidence-based resources so no one has to face cancer alone.
See how your gift helpsIllustrative examples of what gifts like yours make possible — not audited program accounting.