If you lived in a poor, Southern Texas border town, where could you go to get help if you had a rare form of cancer? The answer isn't Bethesda, Md., or even San Antonio. It's Laredo. Thanks to a new National Cancer Institute (NCI) program that harnesses the power of the telecommunications revolution, smaller towns like Laredo and remote ones like Rapid City, S.D., can tap into the resources of major cancer centers.

This issue of BenchMarks brings information on TELESYNERGY, an integrated telecommunications system of computers, microscopes, cameras, and other equipment that can transmit X-rays and other medical images or a live exam of a patient to distant sites where clinicians can discuss the case as if they were in the same room. The system allows U.S. specialists from big cities to consult on cases all over the nation and abroad. It also allows clinicians and patients, particularly those in underserved areas, to participate in clinical trials.

Jennifer Michalowski interviewed the creators of the TELESYNERGY system for our main story on this exciting technology. You'll also find photos, audio clips, and an animation pertaining to the interview. The accompanying story presents a broader picture of cancer research supported by NCI that employs telemedicine.

Telemedicine has the capability to bring state-of-the-art healthcare to isolated areas, enabling the delivery of medical services to sites that are at a distance from the provider. Technologies used in telemedicine include videoconferencing, the Internet, streaming media, satellite, telephone landline, and wireless communications.