About Step by Step
Step by Step is the patient education portal of HemeOncBuddy, written in plain words for patients and families.
Veli Bakalov, MD
Medical oncologist, founder of HemeOncBuddy
I am a medical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in Camden, New Jersey, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.
I first built HemeOncBuddy as an educational resource for hematology and oncology fellows while I was in training. Over time the project grew into a free education hub for cancer professionals.
Step by Step takes those professional resources and rewrites them for patients and families, so that anyone can understand their diagnosis and walk into each visit ready to ask questions.
Part of HemeOncBuddy
HemeOncBuddy.org is a free hematology and oncology education hub for doctors and trainees. Step by Step is its patient side. hemeoncbuddy.org
How we write and review
Every guide, medicine sheet and treatment plan is written in plain words at about a 6th grade reading level, using public sources such as the National Cancer Institute and the official FDA drug labels on DailyMed. Each page is medically reviewed by Veli Bakalov, MD, a medical oncologist, and shows the date it was last reviewed. Spanish pages are careful translations of the reviewed English pages.
We never give doses, and we always tell readers to follow their own care team. If you find something that looks wrong or out of date, please write to hemeoncbuddy@gmail.com and we will check it.
Your privacy
We do not collect personal or health information. There are no accounts, no cookies, and no forms that save what you type. We count page visits in total, with no cookies and nothing that identifies you.
If you enter a ZIP code to find trials or a second opinion center, it is used only for that search and is not saved. Your language choice is remembered on your own device.
Important: please read
- Step by Step is for general education only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
- Using this site does not create a doctor and patient relationship with Dr. Bakalov or anyone else.
- Always talk with your own doctor or care team before making any decision about your health or treatment. Never ignore medical advice or delay care because of something you read here.
- If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
- Medicine changes quickly. We work to keep the content accurate and up to date, but we cannot promise that every page is complete, current, or right for your situation.
- Links to other organizations and websites are offered for convenience. We do not control or endorse them and are not responsible for their content.
- Step by Step is provided as is, without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent allowed by law, the authors are not liable for any loss or harm that results from using this site.
- Step by Step is an independent education project. It is not run by, and does not speak for, Cooper University Health Care or MD Anderson Cancer Center. Views here are the author's own.