The Cancer Information Service as a laboratory for research: the first 15 years

Over the past 15 years, the Cancer Information Service (CIS) of the National Cancer Institute has generated a substantial body of research. In the present report, this research is reviewed as it pertains to five key questions: 1) Who uses the CIS? 2) What are the topics of inquiry? 3) How do callers learn of the CIS? 4) Do CIS campaigns and unplanned events affect CIS call volume? 5) Can the CIS influence behavior? Major conclusions from this review can be summarized as follows: 1) The vast majority of callers to the CIS are female, White/Anglo, and of middle-class background. 2) Most calls relate directly or indirectly to cancer-treatment issues. 3) A variety of media and sources are reported by CIS callers, with television ranking high across most studies. 4) CIS call volume can be substantially influenced by promotion campaigns and unplanned events. 5) The available evidence suggests that the CIS can influence behavior, especially information-seeking behavior. Recommendations for future research are discussed in light of the results of this review.