Cyberspace search for cancer cure

Tangen, with his family: I want to help other victims

By CNN Norway

OSLO, Norway (CNN) -- A Norwegian man has taken his fight against cancer to the Internet in an effort to beat the disease.

Every day, 54-year-old Jan Monrad Tangen will post information about his condition and the development of the disease on the internet.

Tangen from Ytre-Arna in western Norway consulted his doctor last spring after experiencing stomach pains -- but the diagnosis was stomach cancer which doctors fear could not be cured.

Seven experts will be available through the Web site to answer questions from readers concerning everything from medicine to law and motivation.

"I want to survive and do not intend to die yet. I want all access to all available information that could help me," the father of four said.

Tangen hopes his fight will break the taboo of death

Tangen underwent surgery last August after doctors thought they could cure the disease, but during the operation they discovered the cancer was spreading.

The specialists gave Tangen just a one percent chance of being cured and he said the diagnosis changed his perspective of living -- and dying.

"Many people diagnosed with cancer are treated like lepers," he said. "Old friends stopped calling, no one came to visit.

"Sickness and disease are taboo subjects in Norway today. I don't want it to be like that. This is my life and I decide what will happen to me."

He has put his faith in alternative forms of medicine and carried out research into the disease which he said are not available from the health service.

"I want to get access to the information to share it with others. The most important reason for doing this, is that I see an opportunity to help other cancer victims and their friends and family," Tangen said.

"Today cancer is a disease that will some time or other affect everyone in the society. Either because they fall ill themselves, or because it happens to a relative."

CNN Norway
CNN Health: Cancer

Stomach Cancer
Stomach Cancer Resource Centre
Cancer Group Institute

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.