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Counseling
Oncology social workers help you cope with the emotional and practical challenges of cervical cancer. Contact us at 800‑813‑HOPE (4673) or info@cancercare.org.
Learn more about counseling.
Resource Navigation
Learn more about how CancerCare Resource Navigation can help you address barriers to care.
Financial Assistance
Find resources and support to manage your financial concerns. Limited assistance from CancerCare® is available to eligible families for cancer-related costs.
Support Groups
Connect with others in our free support groups led by oncology social workers.
Online
Live
- Living With Cancer: Breast and Gynecologic Cancers Patient Support Group (New York and New Jersey, Video)
Community Programs
Learn about and view the full calendar of our free community programs.
Specialized Programs
CancerCare offers specialized programs to address specific populations and concerns.
Coping Circle Workshops
Virtual educational and supportive workshops led by oncology social workers and qualified co-facilitators. These workshops cover numerous topics and are offered in English and Spanish.
Find Information
Connect Education Workshops
Listen in by telephone or online as leading experts in oncology provide up-to-date information about cancer-related issues in one-hour workshops. Podcasts are also available.
Upcoming Workshops
General Topics
- Challenges Young Adults with Cancer Face: Coping Tips, Dec 6, 2024
- Cancer in the Workplace, Health Insurance, Finances and Returning to School, Dec 13, 2024
Podcasts
Cervical Cancer
- Advances in the Treatment of Cervical Cancer, Mar 20, 2024
- Cervical Cancer: Treatment Advances, Feb 15, 2023
- Highlights from the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting – “Advancing Equitable Cancer Care Through Innovation", Aug 4, 2022
- Cervical Cancer: Treatment Advances, Feb 9, 2022
General Topics
- Caregiving for Your Loved One with Cancer, Sep 23, 2024
- Current Perspectives on Cancer Survivorship, Sep 10, 2024
- Current Perspectives on the Future of Cancer Research, Jun 27, 2024
- How Health Care Disparities May Influence Your Cancer Treatment, Jun 17, 2024
- What’s New in Precision Medicine, Jun 12, 2024
- Caring for Your Loved One with Cancer, May 13, 2024
- Diverse Populations Participating in Decisions about Your Care, Apr 22, 2024
- Managing Eye and Vision Changes Related to Cancer Treatments, Apr 8, 2024
- Understanding the Different Names for Biomarker Testing & Their Role in Selecting the Best Treatment for You, Mar 4, 2024
- Chemotherapy: Novel Approaches to Prevent and Manage Gastrointestinal Treatment Side Effects, Feb 16, 2024
- Understanding the Important Role that Biomarker Testing Plays in Informing the Treatment of Cancer, Feb 12, 2024
- Young Adult Survivorship: Fertility, Sexuality and Intimacy, Feb 9, 2024
- Addressing the LGBTQI+ Health Disparities Gap, Jan 19, 2024
- Challenges Young Adults with Cancer Face: Coping Tips, Dec 15, 2023
- Current Perspectives on Cancer Survivorship, Nov 28, 2023
- Diverse Populations Participating in Decisions About Your Care With Your Health Care Team, Jun 28, 2023
- Understanding Diagnostic Technologies and Biomarkers, Jun 26, 2023
- Addressing the LGBTQI+ Health Disparities Gap, Jun 16, 2023
- Clinical Trials: How They Transform the Treatment of Cancer, Jun 7, 2023
- Taking Your Pills on Schedule: Its Importance in Managing Cancer, May 24, 2023
- Update on COVID for People Living with Cancer & Their Caregivers, May 22, 2023
- Understanding How Health Care Disparities May Influence Your Cancer Treatment and Care: With Tips and Strategies to Find the Best Cancer Treatment and Health Care Team for You, May 15, 2023
- Current Perspectives on Cancer Survivorship, May 2, 2023
- Caring for Your Loved One with Cancer, Apr 3, 2023
- Understanding Diagnostic Technologies and Biomarkers, Jan 23, 2023
- Eye and Vision Changes Related to Cancer Treatments, Aug 22, 2022
- Chemotherapy Treatment Side Effects: Prevention & Management, Jun 10, 2022
- Clinical Trials: How They Transform the Treatment of Cancer, May 18, 2022
- Taking Your Pills on Schedule: Why It Is So Important in Managing Cancer, May 4, 2022
- Current Perspectives on Cancer Survivorship, May 3, 2022
- Managing the Side Effects of Immunotherapy, Apr 27, 2022
- Understanding How Health Care Disparities May Influence Your Cancer Treatment and Care: With Tips & Strategies to Find the Best Cancer Treatment & Health Care Team for You, Mar 21, 2022
- Emerging Importance of Telemedicine/Telehealth Appointments in Communicating with Your Health Care Team, Mar 16, 2022
- COVID-19, Omicron & Delta Variants, COVID-19 Vaccines & Booster Vaccines: Revised Guidelines for People Living with Cancer and Their Loved Ones, Feb 7, 2022
- Managing Eye and Vision Changes Related to Cancer Treatments, Jan 24, 2022
- Preventing, Managing & Treating Infection in Adults Living with Cancer, Oct 25, 2021
- How Health Care Disparities May Influence Your Cancer Treatment & Care, Jun 21, 2021
- Current Perspectives on Cancer Survivorship, Feb 9, 2021
- The 9/11 Community, Cancer & COVID-19, Jan 25, 2021
- How Diagnostic Technologies and Biomarkers Improve Treatment Decisions for People Living with Cancer, Dec 7, 2020
- Cancer and Flu Shots, Nov 9, 2020
- Caregiving for Your Loved One Living with Cancer, Nov 3, 2020
- Preventing and Managing Infections in Adults Living with Cancer, Oct 26, 2020
- Managing the Cost of Living with Cancer, Sep 23, 2020
- Veterans Living with Cancer, Jun 26, 2020
- Treatment Adherence: Taking Your Pills on Schedule – Why It Is So Important, Jun 24, 2020
- What are Biosimilars? Understanding Their Role in Cancer Treatment: Current and Future Perspectives, Jun 18, 2020
- Current Perspectives in Cancer Survivorship, Jun 16, 2020
- For Caregivers: Care Coordination for Your Loved One Living with Cancer and Other Health Problems, Apr 22, 2020
- Participating in Decisions about Your Care, Apr 8, 2020
- Cancer and The Workplace: Understanding Your Legal Protections, Mar 25, 2020
- Understanding the Costs of Care and Your Health Care Coverage, Mar 18, 2020
- Trends in Oncology and Treatment Planning: What You Need to Know, Mar 4, 2020
- Care for Your Bones During & After Cancer Treatment: Tips to Improve Bone Health, Nov 18, 2019
- Preventing Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting, Oct 28, 2019
- Joys and Challenges of Pets in Your Home When You Have Cancer, Apr 8, 2019
- Treatment-Related Rash and Dry Skin, Jun 20, 2018
- Mind Body Techniques to Cope with the Stresses of Cancer, Nov 15, 2017
- Living with Cancer Throughout The Cancer Journey, Mar 10, 2017
- Managing Sensory Disruptions During Cancer Treatments, Dec 5, 2016
- For Health Care Professionals: Care Coordination for Older Men Living with Cancer, Aug 23, 2016
- Nutrition and Healthy Eating Tips During and After Cancer Treatments, Feb 1, 2016
- Healthy Eating and Managing Weight Changes During Cancer Treatment, Apr 13, 2015
- Highlights of the Affordable Care Act, Nov 11, 2014
- Managing Cancer Pain: What You Need to Know, Mar 21, 2014
- Young Adult Survivorship: Fertility, Sexuality and Intimacy, Jun 28, 2013
- Understanding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for People Living with Cancer, Dec 12, 2012
- Managing Post-Treatment Neuropathy, Jul 17, 2012
- Recapturing Joy and Finding Meaning, May 15, 2012
- Planning Your Comfort and Care at End of Life, May 10, 2012
- Using Mind/Body Techniques to Cope with the Stress of Survivorship, Apr 24, 2012
- Nutrition, Physical Activity and You: A Guide for People Living With Cancer, Nov 15, 2011
- Fear of Recurrence and Late Effects: Living with Uncertainty, Jul 12, 2011
- Stress Management for Caregivers: Taking Care of Yourself Physically and Emotionally, Jun 14, 2011
- The Challenges of Coping with Cancer and Other Health Problems, Jun 1, 2011
- Weight Changes After Cancer Treatment: Why is it Happening and What Can I Do About It, May 10, 2011
- Mouth Pain and Discomfort: All You Need to Know About Mouth Sores and Oral Mucositis, Apr 27, 2011
- Helping Children and Teens Understand When a Parent or Loved One Has Cancer, Apr 20, 2011
- Chemobrain: The Impact of Cancer Treatments on Memory, Thinking and Attention, Apr 12, 2011
- Survivors Too: Communicating With and Among Family, Friends and Loved Ones, Jul 13, 2010
- Communicating with Your Health Care Team After Treatment: Making the Most of Your Visit, May 18, 2010
- Trouble Sleeping? Sleep Better to Feel Better: Tips You Can Use, Apr 13, 2010
- Helping Teachers and Educators Support Siblings of Children with Cancer, Oct 8, 2009
- Understanding Peripheral Neuropathy, Jul 16, 2009
- Survivors Too: Family, Friends and Loved Ones - Managing the Fatigue of Caregiving, Jun 23, 2009
- The Importance of Nutrition and Physical Activity, May 19, 2009
- For Parents, Caregivers and Professionals: Helping Brothers and Sisters of Children Living with Cancer, May 14, 2009
- Dental Health During Cancer Treatments, Apr 24, 2009
- Managing the Stress of Survivorship, Apr 14, 2009
- Balancing Cancer and Careers: Living and Working with Cancer, Mar 12, 2009
- For Caregivers: Coping with Holidays, Special Occasions and Birthdays, Throughout the Year, Dec 12, 2008
- Survivors Too: Family, Friends and Loved Ones, Jun 24, 2008
- Rediscovering Intimacy in Your Relationships Following Treatment, May 13, 2008
- The Importance of Communicating with Your Doctor About Follow-Up Care, Apr 22, 2008
- Finding Hope and Meaning After Treatment, Jun 19, 2007
- My Treatment is Over: Why Do I Feel So Alone and Sad?, May 15, 2007
- Managing Your Costs of Recovery, Jun 20, 2006
- Balancing Your Needs and Your Role as a Caregiver, Jun 13, 2006
- Is It My Cancer or Am I Getting Older?, May 23, 2006
- The Bereaved Caregiver in the Workplace, May 10, 2006
- Stress Management Tips for Survivors, Apr 25, 2006
- The Challenge of Creating Supportive Work Environments for Employees with Cancer and Their Caregivers, Apr 5, 2006
Publications
Read or order our free Connect booklets and fact sheets offering easy-to-read information about the latest cancer treatments, managing side effects and coping with cancer.
Cervical Cancer
- Treatment Update: Cervical CancerNew
- Cervical Cancer: Understanding Risk Factors and Screening
- Coping With Cervical Cancer
General Topics
- Coping With Cancer: Tools to Help You LiveNew
- Caregiving for Your Loved One With Cancer
- Talking to Children When a Loved One Has Cancer
- Communicating With Your Health Care Team
- Sources of Financial Assistance
- Finding Resources in Your Community
- If You've Just Been Diagnosed
- What Can I Say to a Newly Diagnosed Loved One?
- Advice for Caregivers: How Can You Help Yourself?
Ask CancerCare
Every month, featured experts answer your questions about coping with cancer. View all questions and answers.
Cervical Cancer
- Q.
I'd like to connect with other women who have cervical cancer. I feel like they'll understand me best. Can you tell me where I should look?
A.Support groups are a wonderful opportunity to speak with other women diagnosed with cervical cancer. Joining a group can provide a safe environment to share thoughts, ideas and feelings with others in a similar circumstance, and members in a support group often feel less isolated during their cancer experience. Support groups may be available face-to-face, over the telephone, or online.
CancerCare offers a free, private online support group for individuals in treatment for gynecologic cancer. This message-board style group is moderated by an oncology social worker, and is available 24/7 during the group cycle.
For individuals you have completed treatment for any diagnosis, you can consider our post-treatment online support group.
If you have a social worker at your hospital or treatment center, they are often very knowledgeable about any face-to-face groups in your local area. Often, treatment centers run their own support groups that may either be focused on a specific diagnosis or may be more mixed in composition. You can also consider “peer matching”, a service in which you would be connected to another individual who has undergone similar treatment for cervical cancer so that you can have one-on-one phone conversations. Two organizations providing this service include Cancer Hope Network and Imerman Angels.
- Q.
Are there any alternative treatment options available for cervical cancer? Or things I could be doing in addition to standard treatment?
A.Alternative treatment options for cancer can include a wide variety of approaches that are sometimes used in place of conventional measures of care practiced by Western practitioners, such as chemotherapy and radiation. Examples of alternative treatment options may include acupuncture, acupressure, homeopathy and naturopathy. When these alternative practices are used in conjunction with conventional medicine they are often referred to as complementary medicine. To learn more, read Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s publication, Complementary Therapies to Ease the Way During Cancer Treatment and Recovery .
When considering alternative and complementary treatment for cervical cancer, it is very important to communicate with your medical team. Some alternative therapies may be contraindicated for the treatment plan your doctor has recommended. The National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine provides extensive information and sponsor clinical trials that examine complementary practices in cancer care. For more information on these trials and the current research in this area, call NCI at 800-4-CANCER or read their publication, Thinking About Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Guide for People With Cancer.
If you’re considering utilizing alternative or complementary therapies, it is important to keep your medical team informed about what you are doing/taking; keeping the lines of communication open and being open about any additional therapies you are utilizing can allow you and your medical team to continue working as a team for optimal outcomes. For tips on effective ways to speak to your medical team, see CancerCare’s fact sheet, “Doctor, Can We Talk?“ Tips for Communicating With Your Health Care Team.
- Q.
Where can I find the latest treatment and research that is being done regarding cervical cancer?
A.Government institutions such as the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are reliable resources in locating information on cancer. NCI is the United States government’s agency for cancer research. It provides current information on cancer data, research programs and clinical trials on all types of cancers. You can contact NCI at 800-4-CANCER or www.cancer.gov. They provide comprehensive information: Cervical Cancer Treatment.
The Foundation for Women’s Cancers has a comprehensive website that provides a good deal of information on gynecological cancer treatment, clinical trials and details on the research they are currently funding.
The American Cancer Society’s website has a Cervical Cancer section, which includes information and briefs on current cervical cancer treatment and research.
CancerCare’s publication, Treatment Update: Cervical Cancer, reviews highlights from American Society of Clinical Oncology. You can learn more about additional services CancerCare offers those who’ve been diagnosed with cervical cancer (and their loved ones) in our cervical cancer website section.
If you have specific questions about your treatment plan, I would encourage you speak to your medical team who would be able to best advise based on your individual situation.
- Q.
What resources are available for women with cervical cancer who have no medical insurance? I was going to a specialist and my cancer was advancing. I have had no treatment since due to lack of insurance.
A.The many challenges of being diagnosed and not having insurance are stressful and emotionally difficult. Navigating treatment without insurance can feel daunting, but there are resources you can explore that may be able to help. First, I would encourage you to speak to your previous specialist and medical team about the current difficulty you are experiencing. You indicated you were receiving treatment at one point but had to stop; a social worker, nurse navigator, or someone in the finance department of the specialist’s office or treatment center may be able to help guide you. There may be local resources that can help pay for treatment, and sometimes offices will be able to work out a payment plan with you once they are aware of the situation.
I would also recommend exploring if you would be eligible for Medicaid in your state. The eligibility varies from state-to-state, and you can learn more about the program here. Often your local social services office can help with determining eligibility and submitting the application.
You can inquire about any charity care or reduced cost care you may be eligible for at local hospitals or treatment centers; public hospitals are required to provide some level of charity care, but policies can vary and you would need to check with the hospital for their specific eligibility and application process.
CancerCare provides a searchable database of cancer resources and assistance based on zip code. You can utilize the search to investigate any additional resources that may be available near you.
- Q.
I am looking to connect with survivors of cervical and/or vaginal cancers who have found success in managing long-term side effects of pelvic radiation. I have been offered little in terms of treatment of after effects and am wondering if anyone has found relief.
A.Thank you for this important question. As you have experienced, pelvic radiation can lead to some long-term side effects that can impact your quality of life, including physical discomfort as well as sexuality and intimacy concerns. Talking about these side effects with others who have experienced them can be very helpful; it provides you a space to discuss these issues with another woman who has “been there” and can be a way to receive useful suggestions and tips. If you’d like to speak one-on-one with another gynecologic cancer survivor, you can explore “peer matching”, a service where you would be matched to another survivor who is similar in age and course of treatment for individual phone conversations. Some organizations providing this matching service include Cancer Hope Network, Imerman Angels and SHARE Cancer Support.
Joining a support group can be another great way to connect with others in similar situations. CancerCare offers an online Gynecological Cancer Patient Support Group for individuals in treatment or those who have recently completed treatment. This free private, message-board style group is moderated by an oncology social worker and registration can be completed online.
You can also view the full range of CancerCare’s post-treatment resources.
I would also encourage you to speak to your medical team about the side effects you have been experiencing. Although it is true that some of the radiation side effects may be long-lasting, there may be ways to better manage or reduce the severity. Your oncologist and/or gynecologist can advise you on what options might be applicable for your individual situation.
- Q.
Where can I find the latest screening info for cervical cancer? Seems like the recommended time between screenings has changed?
A.The first step with any cancer diagnosis is obtaining access to screen. Fortunately, there are places you can look into to acquire the latest information. Some places to seek updates about screenings would be the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Cervical Cancer Coalition. Both organizations have information about when to take your screens, and resources where you can find a screening center near you. Speaking with your OB-GYN is also another option in determining the best time for you to have a screen.
CancerCare offers more about screening for cervical cancer through the publication Cervical Cancer: Understanding Risk Factors and Screening. We also offer a Time To Screen line at 855-537-2733 where you can talk to one of specialist about screening.
Featured Resource
Magnolia Meals at Home
A meal delivery program that helps patients by providing nourishing meals to households affected by cancer. Is currently available in and around Woodcliff Lake, NJ and Andover, MA, Raleigh-Durham, NC and New Haven, CT (as well areas in New York, New Hampshire and Boston, MA). For more information please visit magnoliamealsathome.com or contact Kathy Nugent, LCSW at 800-813-4673, ext. 6809.
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Additional Resources
For Cervical Cancer
CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation
Foundation for Women’s Cancer
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
Patient Advocate Foundation Co-Pay Relief Program (PAF CPR)
Time to Screen
General Cancer Resources
American Cancer Society
Medical Information
National Cancer Institute
National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) – NCCN Guidelines for Patients®