Patient education: history, development, and current directions of the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.

With their unique perspectives in the identification, design, promotion, and evaluation of cancer patient education programs and services, the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society have the abilities to meet a wide variety of cancer patient education needs. With federal support and connections to national organizations and the comprehensive and clinical cancer center networks, the National Cancer Institute has access to nationwide experts in medical care and the resources to develop, design, and promote quality, state-of-the-art education programs. The American Cancer Society, with its strong volunteer community base, can pull together local expertise and collaborate with local organizations to meet the special needs of local population groups. In addition, the American Cancer Society volunteer committees have the flexibility to individualize programming and resources to answer specific patient/family education problems. As the number of people affected by cancer continues to raise, and as organizations realize the need to maximize their resources with collaborative efforts, the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society are challenged to focus their energies on the patient education initiatives that build upon and combine their unique strengths.