Source methodology

How we choose and use sources

We write from sources that readers can open and check. Medical pages are anchored to public, authoritative sources and avoid adding unsupported interpretation.

Source preference order

U.S. government health sources such as NCI, NIH, CDC, FDA, CMS, and HealthCare.gov
Patient versions of professional guidelines or cancer-center patient education
ClinicalTrials.gov, journal abstracts, and regulator pages for trial or approval news
Major nonprofit cancer organizations when they add patient-facing context
Reputable news sources only for public facts, never as the sole medical basis

How we handle news

News and analysis pages link to official sources whenever possible: FDA pages for approvals and shortages, ClinicalTrials.gov or journals for study details, and NCI pages for evergreen medical context. A news article should explain what a headline does and does not mean, then send readers back to durable education.

How we handle uncertainty

If a source is limited, early, observational, or not specific to the reader's cancer, the page should say so. We avoid phrases that promise outcomes, imply universal benefit, or turn a study result into personal medical advice.

How source checks are recorded

Article metadata records the main source URL and the last source-check date. Higher-risk pages also carry review-priority metadata so they can be routed to qualified human reviewers without claiming that review has already happened.