Connecting to others in a support group, whether face-to-face, by telephone or online, is an excellent way to find support, resources, information from people who’ve “been there”. If you call us at 1-800-813-HOPE (4673), one of our professional oncology social workers can help you by researching groups for you. He or she can let you know about groups offered by CancerCare, and those offered by other organizations as well. You can also learn more about our online support groups.

Another option is to contact a cancer-specific organization (e.g., Lung Cancer Alliance, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) for group information, as these organizations usually have local chapters that provide support groups. In addition, many of these organizations offer “buddy” programs, which bring people together for mutual support.

Additional resources for finding a group include:

• The American Cancer Society maintains a database of local support group information.

• The Association of Cancer Online Resources (ACOR) host “mailing lists” which are groups that exist through email.

• The Rare Cancer Alliance offers patient forums for rare conditions and also a personal stories section.