Understand a diagnosis
Create clear explanations of cancer types, stages, tests, and unfamiliar medical terms.
Reader-supported cancer education
Help make cancer easier to understand.
Your gift helps Cancer Explained create free, plain-language, evidence-based guidance for people facing cancer, their families, and caregivers.
- plain-language guides
- 3,059
- terms explained
- 421
- languages
- 43
Free to read, sources cited, no ads — ever.
National Cancer Information Foundation is recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3), EIN 42-3639534. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
- Free for every readerNo paywalls. No subscription required.
- Evidence-basedInformation from trusted sources, written in plain language.
- Honest & transparentAI-assisted and source-cited, with the review status shown on every page.
Cancer Explained is a program of the National Cancer Information Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization.
Your gift helps people understand what comes next
Your support fuels free, trusted information at every step of the cancer journey.
Prepare for appointments
Develop question lists, checklists, and guides that help people have more informed conversations.
Support caregivers & families
Provide practical information for the people helping someone through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Keep information current
Review and update cancer information as evidence, treatments, and guidance change.
How Cancer Explained turns your gift into useful information
We follow a careful process to deliver reliable, helpful information.
- 1
Identify important patient questions
We listen to what people are searching for most.
- 2
Research trusted medical sources
We review guidelines, studies, and expert resources.
- 3
Write & review the guidance
We write in plain language and run checks on claims, citations, and clarity.
- 4
Publish it free for everyone
We make it accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Where your support goes
Cancer Explained does not sell medical information or require payment to access its educational tools. Donations help support source verification, accessibility, technology, translations, and free patient resources. We are funded by individual readers, and no funder reviews or approves anything we publish.
- No ads and no advertiser relationships
- No sponsored content or pay-for-placement
- Funders never see content before you do
- Any funder over $5,000 a year is named publicly
As a newly incorporated organization we have not yet completed a fiscal year, so there is no annual financial report to publish. When there is, it will be posted here.
Read our funding & independence policyGive in honor or in memory of someone
Make a gift in someone’s name, then send a free e-card to let them — or their family — know. Choose a design, write your own message, and email it, share it, or download it. There is no cost to send one, and we never add the recipient to a mailing list.
Other ways to support Cancer ExplainedMonthly · Employer matching · Donor-advised funds · Stock or assets · Planned givingMany employers match gifts dollar for dollar — often doubling what your gift supports, at no extra cost to you.
Monthly supportSustain free information all year long.Employer matchingDouble your impact through your employer.Donor-advised fundRecommend a grant through DAFpay — takes about 2 minutes.Stock or assetsGive securities or other assets.Planned givingLeave a lasting legacy of information and hope.
To explore these or other giving options, contact us at donate@cancerexplained.org
Frequently asked questions
Is my donation tax deductible?
National Cancer Information Foundation is recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, effective July 7, 2026, and is classified as a public charity under Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi). Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law; your own deductibility depends on your individual tax situation, so please consult your tax advisor for specifics. This covers gifts made on or after July 7, 2026 — including gifts made before the IRS letter itself arrived — since the exemption is effective retroactive to that date.
How will my donation be used?
Cancer Explained does not sell medical information or require payment to access its educational tools. Donations help support source verification, accessibility, technology, translations, and free patient resources. Our funding page explains how money is handled and the firewall between funders and content.
Will I receive a receipt?
Yes. A receipt is emailed to the address you enter at checkout, usually within a few minutes. It carries our legal name and EIN and a statement that no goods or services were provided, so you can keep it for your records. If it does not arrive, email donate@cancerexplained.org. No goods or services are provided in exchange for donations unless specifically stated.
Is my payment information secure?
Yes. Payments are processed by Stripe on our own site — your card details go directly to Stripe and never touch our servers.
Can I make a monthly donation?
Yes. Use the One-time / Monthly toggle at the top of this page, or visit our monthly giving page. Monthly gifts run through the same secure checkout and help sustain free cancer information all year.
Will my employer match my gift?
Many employers match charitable gifts, often dollar for dollar, and some match gifts made by retirees or spouses. Ask your HR team or benefits portal for their matching form and give them our legal name, National Cancer Information Foundation, and our EIN, 42-3639534. Matching costs you nothing and can double what your gift supports.
Can a donor influence what you publish?
No. Funders never see content before you do, and no funder reviews or approves anything we write. We accept grants only when they come with no say over content. Any funder giving more than $5,000 a year is named publicly. There is no sponsored content and no pay-for-placement anywhere on the site.
Who operates Cancer Explained?
Cancer Explained is a project of National Cancer Information Foundation, a Wyoming public benefit nonprofit corporation, recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
More questions (10)Fewer questions
Can I donate in honor or memory of someone?
Yes. You can make a gift in honor of someone or in loving memory of someone, and send a free tribute e-card to let them or their family know.
How can I change or cancel my recurring gift?
Email donate@cancerexplained.org any time and we’ll take care of it promptly — no hoops, no guilt.
Can I request a correction or refund?
If something looks wrong with your gift — the amount, the frequency, or a duplicate charge — email donate@cancerexplained.org and we’ll review it promptly and make it right.
Does Cancer Explained sell donor information?
Never. We don’t sell donor information or share it for marketing, and we don’t run ads. See our privacy policy for the details.
Why are no individual names published on this site?
We publish the organization, its EIN, its registered agent address, and its IRS determination letter, but not the names, personal addresses, or personal contact details of directors, officers, staff, or volunteers. That is a deliberate safety and privacy decision. Legal accountability rests with National Cancer Information Foundation and its board and officers in their corporate capacity. Donors, grantmakers, journalists, and regulators who need officer names or governing documents can request them in writing at legal@cancerexplained.org.
Is the medical information written or reviewed by doctors?
No, and we say so on every page rather than implying otherwise. Pages are written with AI assistance from public health sources such as the National Cancer Institute. Many have also had an editorial check against the sources they cite, and that work is still in progress. That is source-checking, not medical review: it confirms a page matches what its source says. It does not confirm the page is complete, or right for your situation. Pages can still contain errors, and they are education, not medical advice.
How much of my gift goes to the mission rather than overhead?
We will not give you a percentage we cannot yet stand behind. As a newly incorporated organization we have not completed a fiscal year, so no audited financial report exists to quote. When one does, we will publish it. In the meantime our funding and independence policy sets out exactly what donations support and what we refuse to take.
Does donating give me medical advice or a second opinion?
No. Cancer Explained is educational only. We do not diagnose, recommend treatment, review anyone's records, or answer personal medical questions, and donating changes none of that. If something on the site worries you, contact your own care team. If it is urgent, call your team's number or 911.
Can I give without using a card?
Yes. Employer matching, donor-advised funds, stock or other assets, and planned giving are all covered under "Other ways to support Cancer Explained" on this page. If none of those fit, email donate@cancerexplained.org and we will help.
What happens to the Spanish and other translated pages?
Translated pages are machine translations of our English pages, with automated checks and no documented human translator review. When an English page changes and a translation no longer matches it, the translation is withheld and the English page is shown instead. Keeping that work going is part of what donations support.
Cancer Explained does not sell medical information or require payment to access its educational tools. Donations help support source verification, accessibility, technology, translations, and free patient resources.
National Cancer Information Foundation is recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, effective July 7, 2026, and is classified as a public charity under Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi). Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law; your own deductibility depends on your individual tax situation, so please consult your tax advisor for specifics. This covers gifts made on or after July 7, 2026 — including gifts made before the IRS letter itself arrived — since the exemption is effective retroactive to that date.
No goods or services are provided in exchange for donations unless specifically stated.