hen Mandy Buhle was three years old, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Now 10, with her cancer in remission, she's living much the life of any other girl her age. But the effects of Mandy's diagnosis on her father, Loren Buhle, are still reverberating, as he unexpectedly became the standard-bearer for one of the Internet's oldest maxims: Information wants to be free. When Mandy was diagnosed, her father turned to the Net as a way to deal with his fears, by posting his thoughts, writing articles, and answering questions. Finally, he founded OncoLink, an online cancer resource primarily aimed at lay people. Today he maintains mailing lists, participates in online forums, answers email, lectures, and writes books. He exhorts people with the disease and their caregivers to find out as much as they can about their conditions -- especially where there are multiple, conflicting theories -- and to take an active role in their treatment. Not everyone is thrilled with Loren's online approach to disseminating medical information. In particular, many physicians are uneasy with the idea of relatively uneducated patients drinking directly from a well of unfiltered data. But Loren's argument is simple, based on personal responsibility, freedom, and control: Internet access allows patients to "take responsibility for their own health," he says. "It's no longer a mysterious medical industry. Patients can say, 'This is what I want with my body.' "Even within the medical community, five physicians will have five different opinions. My view is, let's put all five of them up there, so that the patient can understand what's involved. If patients are working with their physician, they can work with them as an equal partner."
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