Support

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People with cancer and their families sometimes need help coping with the emotional and practical aspects of their disease. The IU Simon Cancer Center has many health professionals that can help you manage your disease. They can also refer you to local community organizations that can offer you more help and information. Having this extra support can help you deal with the cancer and the challenges that it brings. Below is a list of national organizations that can be used as resources to get more information about cancer, decision-making, and coping.

  • American Cancer Society (ACS) is a national voluntary health organization that provides web- and telephone-based cancer information about risk factors, prevention, treatment options, coping strategies, and stories of hope. The ACS supports research and offers educational programs in local communities.
  • Cancer Care is a national non-profit organization that provides free professional support services to anyone affected by cancer, including caregivers and loved ones of all ages. Cancer Care visitors can talk to a social worker, join an online support group, or participate in a telephone education workshop. Visitors can get information about important issues, such as financial help or talking to your family about your disease.
  • Cancer Hope Network offers individual support to cancer patients and their families by matching them with trained volunteers who have undergone and recovered from a similar cancer experience. Patients and their families are matched to volunteers based on the type and stage of cancer, treatments used, side effects experienced, and other factors.
  • Cancer.Net brings the expertise and resources of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to people living with cancer, their caretakers, and those that care about them. The ASCO has more than 25,000 of the world’s leading oncologists in cancer care.
  • I'M TOO YOUNG FOR THIS! (i2y) is a public awareness and resource literacy campaign of Steps for Living (a nonprofit communication, support, and advocacy organization.) It is geared toward cancer survivors, ages 15 - 39, who are seeking support directed at their unique demographic and lifestyle needs. i2y services include survivor spa retreats, online forums and blogs, social networking, camping excursions, fertility education, peer counseling, financial scholarships, and more.
  • Indy SurviveOars is a group of breast cancer survivors and others who are committed to the cause of breast cancer who are introducing dragon boat racing to Indiana.
  • MedlinePlus is sponsored by the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine. Its indexes offer current information from reliable sources about different health topics, including a medical dictionary and drug information.
  • National Cancer Institute is the federal government's main cancer agency. It offers Web- and telephone-based cancer information about genetics, causes, prevention, screening and testing, treatment, clinical trials, and more.
  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network is a network of cancer centers, in association with the American Cancer Society, which developed treatment guidelines for supportive care and certain cancers to help patients and their families in their treatment decisions.
  • National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is a group of programs that provide hospice and palliative care. It is designed to increase awareness about hospice services and advocate for the rights of terminally ill patients and their family members. They offer discussion groups, publications, information about how to find a hospice, and information about the financial aspects of hospice.
  • Patient Advocate Foundation offers education, legal counsel, and referrals to cancer patients and survivors about managed care, insurance, financial issues, job discrimination, and debt crisis matters.
  • Sisters Network Indianapolis is an Indiana chapter of Sisters Network! The leading voice and only national African American breast cancer survivorship organization in the United States.
  • Wellness Community provides free psychological and emotional support to cancer patients and their families. They offer support groups facilitated by licensed therapists, stress reduction, cancer education workshops, nutrition guidance, exercise sessions, and social events. The Wellness Community of Central Indiana offers local programs.
  • Young Survivors Coalition is a support network for young women diagnosed with breast cancer.