How Ask Cancer Explained works

What it is

Ask Cancer Explained is an educational question-and-answer tool. You type a question in your own words, and it shows the passages from our own pages that best match it, each with a link to the page and to the original source. It does not use an AI to write an answer, and your question is not sent to an AI company.

Where answers come from

When you ask a question, we search the passages on CancerExplained.org — our plain-language explanations of National Cancer Institute content and, where a page cites them, CDC and other trusted sources — and show the best matches exactly as they appear on those pages, along with links to trusted NCI / Cancer.gov pages. We do not rewrite or combine them, so you read what the page says and can follow the link to the original source. (Our pages themselves are written with AI assistance and are not reviewed by a clinician; see how we use AI.)

What it will always do

• Show plain-language passages from our pages that match your question.
• Point to Cancer Explained articles and NCI / Cancer.gov resources.
• Encourage you to talk with a qualified healthcare professional.
• Say clearly when it finds nothing on your topic.
• Show a fixed message, not passages, when a question asks for personal medical advice.

What it is designed not to do

It is built not to diagnose, recommend or rank treatments, estimate prognosis, interpret your personal test results, tell you whether you have cancer, or act as a substitute for a doctor. For urgent concerns it will point you to urgent or emergency care. You can read the full list on the Safety & limits page.