A CD-ROM database product for oncology

Abstract

This article discusses the development of a vertically oriented CD-ROM database product in the medical subdiscipline of oncology. Called OncoDisc, the CD-ROM is mastered by ISG. It contains three major information collections: (1) PDQ (a system of a series of files and a set of relationships; the user accesses the data through those relationships); (2) Cancerlit (the research literature that underlies the treatment information contained in PDQ), and (3) full-text articles. SearchLITE, the retrieval system, is written in C language and has been implemented on the the DEC VAX family and the IBM PC/XT and PC/AT. The disc provides a personal library of oncology information for immediate local use by the health professional; it requires no subscription to an online service, no telecommunications, and no online search charges.