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PDQ® - NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Database
    Updated: 01/10/2008
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Table of Contents

PDQ Cancer Information Summaries
PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry
PDQ Cancer Genetics Services Directory

PDQ (Physician Data Query) is NCI's comprehensive cancer database. It contains peer-reviewed summaries on cancer treatment, screening, prevention, genetics, and supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine; a registry of more than 6,000 open and 17,000 closed cancer clinical trials from around the world; and a directory of professionals who provide genetics services.

PDQ Cancer Information Summaries

The PDQ cancer information summaries are peer reviewed and updated monthly by six editorial boards comprised of specialists in adult treatment, pediatric treatment, supportive care, screening and prevention, genetics, and complementary and alternative medicine. The Boards review current literature from more than 70 biomedical journals, evaluate its relevance, and synthesize it into clear summaries. Many of the summaries are also available in Spanish.

Adult treatment summaries:
PDQ contains evidence-based summaries that provide prognostic and treatment information on the major types of cancer in adults. Summaries are available for over 70 types of cancer, including a number of brief summaries on less common cancers. Health professional versions of the summaries provide detailed information on prognosis, staging, and treatment for each disease, refer to key citations in the literature, and link to abstracts for the citations. The PDQ adult treatment summaries are also available in patient versions, written in easy-to-understand, non-technical language.

Pediatric treatment summaries:
PDQ contains prognostic and treatment information on the major types of cancer in children, as well as information on unusual childhood cancers. Health professional versions of the summaries provide detailed information on prognosis, staging, and treatment for each disease, refer to key citations in the literature, and link to abstracts for the citations. All of the PDQ pediatric treatment summaries are also available in patient versions, written in easy-to-understand, non-technical language.

Supportive and palliative care summaries:
PDQ's supportive and palliative care summaries provide descriptions of the pathophysiology and treatment of common physical and psychosocial complications of cancer and its treatment, such as pain, hypercalcemia, and nausea/vomiting. Each health professional version generally contains an overview, information on etiology, assessment and management, and references to the current literature. Most PDQ supportive and palliative care summaries are also available in patient versions, written in easy-to-understand, non-technical language.

Screening/detection summaries:
Summaries on screening/detection for many of the common cancers such as lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate, as well as other cancers, are available. The health professional-oriented summaries contain current data concerning screening/detection for particular disease sites, the levels of evidence for those statements, and the significance and evidence of benefit for the statements, which include supporting references to current literature. Most PDQ screening/detection summaries are also available in patient versions, written in easy-to-understand, non-technical language.

Prevention summaries:
Summaries on prevention for many of the common cancers such as lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate, as well as other cancers, are available. Health professional versions of the summaries contain current data concerning prevention for particular disease sites, the levels of evidence for those statements, and the significance and evidence of benefit for the statements. Supporting references to current literature are included. Most PDQ prevention summaries are also available in patient versions, written in easy-to-understand, non-technical language.

Genetics summaries:
PDQ genetics summaries provide evidence-based information about the genetic basis of certain cancers. Information is given about risk factors related to family history, major genes and syndromes associated with the disease, interventions specific to individuals at high risk, and the ethical, legal, and social issues related to cancer risk counseling and gene testing. An overview of cancer genetics and summaries on the genetics of breast and ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, and prostate cancer are currently available. A summary covering the elements of cancer risk assessment and counseling is also available.

Complementary and alternative medicine summaries:
The treatments described in these summaries are generally not disease specific. The health professional versions of the summaries contain background information about the treatments; a brief history of their development; information about their proposed mechanism(s) of action; and information about relevant laboratory, animal, and clinical studies. They also are written using language for non-experts and include glossary links to scientific terms. Most of the summaries also are available in a patient version that is written in a question-and-answer format and includes links to definitions of scientific terms. In the future, summaries will be written about complementary and alternative medicine approaches to cancer prevention.

PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry

PDQ includes the world's most comprehensive cancer clinical trials registry. The registry contains more than 6,000 abstracts of clinical trial protocols that are open/active and approved for patient accrual (accepting patients), including trials for cancer treatment, genetics, diagnosis, supportive care, screening, and prevention. In addition, the registry contains more than 17,000 abstracts of clinical trial protocols that have been completed or are closed to patient accrual.

PDQ includes most clinical trials sponsored by NCI. It also contains many clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, medical centers, and other groups from around the world. It includes all cancer clinical trials that are registered under requirements specified by Public Law 110-85, Title VIII (Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act, 2007) and requirements set forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

To help ensure the comprehensiveness of the registry, PDQ and NIH's ClinicalTrials.gov database regularly exchange clinical trial information. Cancer trials registered in PDQ will automatically be registered in ClinicalTrials.gov and vice versa.

Protocol abstracts in PDQ are written in two formats, the health professional abstract (uses technical terminology) and the patient abstract (uses non-technical language). However, some trials (obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov) contain the same text in both the patient and health professional abstracts.

Searching for clinical trials

NCI's PDQ clinical trials registry can be searched using a basic search form that allows selection of a type of cancer, stage/subtype, type of trial, and location. It is also possible to search for trials using additional criteria such as type of treatment/intervention, drug name, phase of trial, or a combination of these and other variables by using an advanced search form. Help links at the top of each clinical trials search form lead to more information and tips about searching for clinical trials.

Registering clinical trials with PDQ

Submission Instructions and a portal for online submission of protocols to PDQ are available on NCI's Web site.

Additional information about clinical trials

For more information and news about clinical trials, please visit the Clinical Trials area of NCI's Web site.

PDQ Cancer Genetics Services Directory

PDQ's Cancer Genetics Services Directory is a directory of about 500 individuals who provide services related to cancer genetics (cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling, genetic susceptibility testing, and others).

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