Support groups connect people in similar situations and provide an environment in which they can share their feelings and build a community of support.

CancerCare‘s online support groups enable individual participants to communicate via a password-protected message board that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each support group is active for a 14-week period and each is moderated by a professional oncology social worker, who provides guidance, resources and reliable information to the participants.

CancerCare currently offers 25 different support groups online. Each is targeted to a specific population, such as people undergoing treatment for cancer, cancer survivors, caregivers and the bereaved.  Groups now recruiting include:

• Triple negative breast cancer patients
• Caregivers of loved ones with lung cancer
• Men with cancer
• Young adult caregivers of spouses and partners

 All support groups are completely free of charge, but registration is required.  Learn more.

Michelle has served as caregiver to her parents, both cancer survivors, for the past 11 years. Along with providing physical and practical support, Michelle also supported her parents emotionally after the loss of her uncle from pancreatic cancer. Both Michelle and her mother received free counseling from CancerCare. 

Michelle, an avid runner, recently ran in the New York City Marathon in the guise of superhero CaptainCare, and is slated in run in two more upcoming races. So far, she has raised more than $2,000 in support of our free services. Visit Michelle’s blog for updates on her progress.

Make a donation on Michelle’s Team CancerCare donation page to help her reach her goal of $5,000. You can also add the name of a loved one you’d like Michelle to run for, or post a supportive message.

CancerCare offers a number of free support services for caregivers including individual counseling and support groups. We encourage you to browse our reading room and read about caregiving topics such as:

• How to care for a person who is coping with cancer
• Tips for coping and caregiving during holidays and special occasions
• What you can say to a newly diagnosed loved one

Traditional care has focused mainly on treating cancer as a medical condition in which emotional concerns and issues resulting from the diagnosis are often downplayed or not addressed at all. This is changing, as more and more oncologists and other health care providers acknowledge the integral role of counseling and emotional support for patients, their families, and caregivers.

Oncology social workers provide critical support to patients, notes CancerCare‘s Win Boerckel, who is quoted in the article;  they can “help people normalize the experience of having cancer, so they can answer questions from their children or get to their next chemo appointment.”

Read the article, “Surviving the First 100 Days,” in the debut issue of LIVESTRONG Quarterly , beginning on page 22.

The Melanoma Helpline is the result of a partnership between CancerCare and The Melanoma Research Foundation. It is staffed by CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers and operates Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time, and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time.

Melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer, is one of the fastest growing cancers worldwide, and the incidence of people under 30 developing melanoma is increasing faster than any other demographic group. Melanoma can be an aggressive and deadly cancer but people who are diagnosed in its earliest stage have a survival rate of over 90%.

Call The Melanoma Helpline at 877-MRF-6460 (877-673-6460).

To learn more about melanoma, visit The Melanoma Research Foundation’s website.

Aside from the physcial concerns, a person newly diagnosed with cancer experiences many, and often conflicting emotions, such as  fear, anxiety and uncertainty about the future.

An interdisciplinary approach by the patient’s healthcare team is key to treating the newly diagnosed person with cancer and should include addressing the patient’s emotional and practical concerns, says Carolyn Messner, DSW, director of education and training for CancerCare, in an interview appearing in the February 2010 edition of  The Oncology Nurse.

“Cancer is a complicated disease, and it requires a team of health professionals to refer back and forth to each other so that we can direct patients to the people who can best help them,” Messner notes.

“Social workers are trained to talk to people systemically about their concerns and issues they confront. Many are employed in the hospital or community center setting. In my own experience, oncology nurses and oncology social workers work very well together. That is the best model [in patient care].” 

CancerCare has a full-time staff of professional oncology social workers who can help a person find effective ways to cope with a cancer diagnosis. Start by visiting the CancerCare website, or call 1-800-813-HOPE (4673).

Over 200,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009. Lung cancer not only affects patients but also families and loved ones. CancerCare offers free, professional counseling and practical support to anyone coping with a lung cancer diagnosis through its National Lung Cancer Program.

In addition, CancerCare‘s online resource, www.lungcancer.org, provides reliable information to anyone affected by lung cancer. Learn more about the full range of services CancerCare offers to people facing lung cancer, including: counseling, support groups, financial assistance, publications and educational workshops.

You can also read stories of people who are coping with lung cancer and share your own story to help inspire others; and post a message in honor of a loved one on our Virtual Wall of Hope.

Listen to CancerCare‘s upcoming Connect Education Workshops over the telephone or via live streaming through the internet (registration is required):

Dec. 9 - Clinical Trials: Improving Treatment Options and Care for People Living with Cancer
Jan. 15 - Understanding Adjuvant Therapy for Early-Stage Lung Cancer

To speak directly to an oncology social worker, call us at 1-800-813-HOPE (4673).

The mission of CancerCare is to provide the support that is necessary in addition to the medical treatment, and this includes individual counseling, support groups, financial assistance, and educational materials and workshops. To learn more about these services, call 800-813-HOPE (4673) to speak with an oncology social worker.