Patient and Health Care Consumer Education Guide: Welcome

Thank you for considering Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for cancer care. 

This guide was created by the MSK Library to help you explore cancer information via different topics:

• If you are interested in becoming a patient at MSK or are curious about the services we offer, go to Experience as an MSK Patient.
• If you would like to know more about cancer or want to start your own searches for research or support, go to Getting Started with Cancer Research.
• If you want to learn about clinical trials or find specific cancer clinical trials to participate in, go to Finding Clinical Trials.
• If you are interested in different forms of patient advocacy and advocating for yourself or others, go to Patient Advocacy.
• If you are curious about cancer survivorship and support for MSK and non-MSK patients, go to Survivorship.

The purpose of this guide is to:

• Serve as a reliable and vetted resource for MSK patients, family members, caregivers, and consumers interested in cancer information.
• Serve as a resource for MSK staff interested in promoting consumer health and health literacy.
• Connect current and potential MSK patients, family members, caregivers, and consumers to relevant MSK expertise and resources, such as the Patient & Caregiver Education Program.

Please note: The resources on this guide are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Medical information can change faster than the published literature – always speak with your doctor and health care team.

Current and former MSK patients and their family members and caregivers are welcome to visit the MSK Library when on campus. We are located directly across from the main hospital and you can reach us by entering the Rockefeller Research Labs Building (430 E 67th Street, New York).

Our dedicated visiting hours for the MSK patient community are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12pm to 2pm:

• Masks must be worn during this time.
• Joining us in person allows you to browse books on the shelves and explore our entire electronic collection directly, including eBooks.

You can also get support online or by phone:

• Our Ask Us page gives you a variety of options for reaching out.
• For example, you can ask a question or request search support on a specific topic, and one of our librarians will get back to you.

You can use this guide to get started finding cancer information online. If you would like to explore the MSK Library website, the ONESEARCH search bar there gives you access to articles, books, and more.

Concerned or have questions about COVID-19?

The MSK Library COVID-19 guide contains many resources for the MSK community, including the page Information for Cancer Patients and Caregivers.

Want to learn more about library support?

Visit the MSK Library home page:

• We provide both virtual and in-person resources and services.

Reach out to MSK Library staff:

• The line to reach our Reference team to ask a question is (212) 639-7439.
• Visit our Ask Us page to also reach out via email or chat.

Have questions or comments? Want to add a resource?

Please use the Feedback button at the top of the page to reach out.

The content of this guide is a work in progress, and we would love to hear from you to learn:

• What features you would like to see.
• What information is most important to your care or the care of a loved one.