The sole mission of CMedEd is to educate a diverse, often language-challenged lay population on complex medical conditions, such as cancer, in a clear, concise and understandable format – not clinical terms or what can be scary, graphic anatomy or MRI snapshots.
We got our start 20 years ago working with MD Anderson providing its members with original illustrations and understandable content that allowed its patients and families a better understanding of the medical reality that was before them. An enterprise that started out with hard-copy pamphlets has evolved into an educational website that is annually reviewed and updated by 87 world renown specialists in the fields of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and infectious disease. Our proprietary clinical content covers over 120 tumor types and cancer support topics complemented by more than 2,000 original illustrations. We also provide original illustrations and explanations for co-morbid chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes.
See how CMedEd illustrations and explanations compare to Web MD.
Head and neck cancer refers to any cancer that develops in the throat, nose, mouth, lips, voice box, sinuses, or salivary glands. These forms of cancer make up about 4% of all cancer cases in the United States each year. Over 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, meaning they start in the moist, inner lining of the mouth and throat, and can grow into deeper layers of tissue. Cancers of the brain, eyes, esophagus, thyroid, skin, muscles, and bones differ in the tissues of origin and in their behavior. These forms of cancer have much different characteristics than squamous cell carcinomas, and require different diagnoses and treatments.
Here are some of the most common symptoms of head and neck cancer:
White or red sores in your mouth
Frequent headaches
Jaw Inflammation
Difficulty hearing or ringing in your ears
Pain or bleeding in your mouth
Chronic nasal congestion or sinus infections
Difficulty breathing or speaking
Frequent Nosebleeds
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"Ms. Pittman and her team have provided an understandable visual representation of lung cancer staging. From my perspective, it has a great potential to facilitate a better understanding of the stage or extent of the cancer, and enhance patient and family understanding of the treatment options available."
Joe B. (Bill) Putnam, Jr., MD, FACS
Clinical Medical Director
Department of Thoracic Surgery
Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, Jacksonville, FL
"This is extremely well-done. Today breast cancer patients are extremely involved in planning their management. Understanding the complexity of the process is a crucial step toward an open communication between health care providers and patients. I believe we have to improve our patients education to increase the quality of care and participation in research projects."
Massimo Cristofanilli, MD, FACP
Associate Director for Precision Medicine and Translational Research
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
“With her CMedEd site, Phyllis Pittman has endeavored to translate the complex and anxiety-ridden process of trying to understand various malignancies into organized, accurate, and up-to-date chapters, all written in very patient-friendly language. This site can serve as an important initial resource for patients and their families as they start to cope with a new diagnosis of cancer, enabling them to more effectively communicate with their health care team.”
Daniel Coit, MD, FACS
Professor of Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Attending Surgeon, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Co-Leader of the Melanoma Disease Management Team
Chair of the NCCN Melanoma Committee
Co-Leader of the MSKCC Gastric Cancer Disease Management Team
“The work that Pittman Communications produce and provide are outstanding examples of patient education. The content is up to date and pertinent to patients dealing with illness. The illustrations are well thought out and align well with the messaging. The patients will find the educational materials absolutely essential to facilitating their decision process and staying current in understanding their treatment options.”
Susan Moffatt-Bruce, MD, PhD
Chief Executive Officer of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Formerly, Associate Professor of Thoracic Surgery
Assistant Professor of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics
Department of Surgery, Division of Thoracic Surgery
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
The illustrations and clear, concise language both lead to an explanation of the disease that a lay person can relate to.
CMedEd is easily understood and speaks to the layman in layman terms, not speaking over our heads like so many sites do.
Clean, easy graphics. The website has a progressive logic…arrow leads you to the next thing. Don’t have to fish for yourself.
This website appears to have empathy for the patients’ needs, that so many (doctors and other websites) do not address.
It was good to have information that has been reviewed by a physician expert so that I did not have to sift through all of the conflicting information on the internet regarding what to expect from breast radiation therapy.
Having this information presented to me prior to treatment knowing it has been reviewed by my physician really put me at ease with the treatment process and what to expect during radiation.
Having this information presented to me prior to treatment knowing it has been reviewed by my physician really put me at ease with the treatment process and what to expect during radiation.