Education Intervention in Encouraging Health Providers to Talk With Cancer Patients About the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Health provider meeting the following criteria: * Has regular contact with cancer patients by initially talking with patients, taking their histories, and conveying pertinent information to their physician at a participating CCOP site * Must be actively seeing patients at a participating University of Texas (UT) MD Anderson Cancer Center Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) site * Must not be employed at more than one participating CCOP site * Not a temporary employee * Patient of a health provider at a participating CCOP site meeting the following criteria: * Current diagnosis of cancer including amyloidosis * Diagnosed at least 1 week ago * Finished treatment within the past 6 months * Able to speak or read English * No prior participation in this study at an earlier assessment PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Not specified PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * Not specified