Typing the search term cancer into Google brings up a list of more than 200 million Web sites.

So it’s no surprise that a 2006 study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that a quarter of people using the Internet for health searches felt overwhelmed by the amount of information they found.

However, doctors and patients say there are some simple things to keep in mind to make medical searches easier to handle.

Tonganoxie family practice Dr. Bill Weatherford and some Kansans who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and breast cancer recommend WebMD as a starting point. That Web site can be found at www.webmd.com.

They also say national foundations, such as the American Cancer Society or the National Parkinson’s Foundation, are useful for specific diseases.

Nancy Hawkins, who was diagnosed with breast cancer twice, said an easy gauge of a Web site’s credibility is right in the site’s Web address.

Sites that end in .edu, .gov and .org are created by education, government and nonprofit organizations. Those ending in .com tend to be run by commercial enterprises.

Weatherford advises taking any advice that is paid for by advertising “with a grain of salt.”

Hawkins also said some of the more reputable sites link to each other.

She advises people to be cautious about trusting the comments made in chatrooms and other discussion forums.

And sometimes, Weatherford said, even two reputable Web sites have differing opinions.

If patients are unsure whether the Web site they are using is a reliable one, Weatherford said they should ask their doctor.

The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation offers these tips for wading through medical information online:

¢ Never substitute online information for seeing a doctor.

¢ Know who maintains and provides the content on a Web site.

¢ Check to see when the information was last updated.

¢ Use common sense and cross check any material that seems unusual or too good to be true.