About Cancer Explained
Cancer Explained is the public education project of National Cancer Information Foundation, a Wyoming public benefit nonprofit corporation. We turn public health sources — chiefly the National Cancer Institute — into plain-language explanations, visual learning, and guided reading paths, for patients, caregivers, families, and anyone wanting to learn more.
Our mission
Free plain-language cancer education for patients, caregivers, and the public. Read the full story — our North Star, the seven principles behind what we build, and what we will never do — on our mission & principles page.
Who we are
Cancer Explained is operated by National Cancer Information Foundation. The organization is recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN 42-3639534), and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. You can review the organization’s details on our transparency & governance page.
| Legal Name | National Cancer Information Foundation |
|---|---|
| Public Project | Cancer Explained |
| EIN | 42-3639534 |
| Entity Type | Wyoming public benefit nonprofit corporation |
| Incorporated | July 6, 2026 |
| Federal Tax-Exempt Status | 501(c)(3) — recognized by the IRS |
| Determination Letter | IRS Letter 947, dated July 13, 2026 |
| Exemption Effective Date | July 7, 2026 |
| Public Charity Classification | Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) |
| Accounting Period Ends | December 31 |
| Current Status | Active — recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity |
| Mission | Free cancer education and patient/caregiver resources |
What we do
We simplify, explain, visualize, organize, and teach — while staying faithful to the source each page is built from. Every explanation links back to that source and encourages you to read the original.
What we don’t do
We do not replace doctors. We do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. We never invent medical information — if something isn’t in our source material, we say so. Your healthcare team knows your situation; we’re here to help you understand the conversation.
Our sources
Most of Cancer Explained comes from the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. government’s principal agency for cancer research — 1,945 of our 2,732 clinical articles cite it. The rest draw on other public health sources: MedlinePlus, the American Cancer Society, the FDA, the CDC, the EPA and IARC among them. NCI does not endorse this site, and neither does any other organization named here. Every page lists its own source, the date we accessed it, and when we last updated our explanation — and our provenance page counts them all.
How these pages are written
Cancer Explained is written by an AI-assisted editorial system working from those published sources, under rules we set and publish. That is unusual enough that we would rather you heard it here than worked it out. It is how a library this size exists at all with no paid staff, and it is also the site’s main limitation: our pages are not reviewed by a named clinician before publication, and we do not claim they are. What we do instead — the automated checks every page must pass, what we correct, and what we refuse to publish — is set out in how we use AI and our editorial process.
Accessibility
We aim for WCAG AA accessibility: semantic HTML, keyboard navigation, screen reader support, strong contrast, and plain language throughout. Read more on our accessibility page.
Learn how we work
For the details of how we research, write, and check our content, see our editorial process. For the important limits on what this site is for, please read our medical disclaimer. You can also review our transparency & governance, sources, privacy policy, and terms of use.
Get involved
Read a guide, ask a question with Ask Cancer Explained, volunteer to review content, or explore other ways to help. If Cancer Explained has helped you or someone you love, a donation keeps it free for the next person searching at 2 a.m.
💛 Support free cancer education
Cancer Explained is free for everyone. Donations help us keep creating calm, plain-language explanations based on trusted National Cancer Institute resources.