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How To Find Resources in Your Own Community If You Have Cancer

 If you have cancer or are undergoing cancer treatment, there are places in your 

community to turn to for help. There are many local organizations throughout the country that 

offer a variety of practical and support services to people with cancer. However, people often 

don’t know about these services or are unable to find them. National cancer organizations can 

assist you in finding these resources, and there are a number of things you can do for yourself. 

 Whether you are looking for a support group, counseling, advice, financial assistance, 

transportation to and from treatment, or information about cancer, most neighborhood 

organizations, local health care providers, or area hospitals are a good place to start. Often, the 

hardest part of looking for help is knowing the right questions to ask. 

What Kind of Help Can I Get?

 Until now, you probably never thought about the many issues and difficulties that arise 

with a diagnosis of cancer. There are support services to help you deal with almost any type of 

problem that might occur. The first step in finding the help you need is knowing what types of 

services are available. The following pages describe some of these services and how to find 

them. 

Information on Cancer

 Most national cancer organizations provide a range of information services, including 

materials on different types of cancer, treatments, and treatment-related issues.
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Counseling

 While some people are reluctant to seek counseling, studies show that having someone to 

talk to reduces stress and helps people both mentally and physically. Counseling can also 

provide emotional support to cancer patients and help them better understand their illness. 

Different types of counseling include individual, group, family, self-help (sometimes called peer 

counseling), bereavement, patient-to-patient, and sexuality. 

Medical Treatment Decisions

 Often, people with cancer need to make complicated medical decisions. Many 

organizations provide hospital and physician referrals for second opinions and information on 

clinical trials (research studies with people), which may expand treatment options. 

Prevention and Early Detection

 While cancer prevention may never be 100 percent effective, many things (such as 

quitting smoking and eating healthy foods) can greatly reduce a person’s risk for developing 

cancer. Prevention services usually focus on smoking cessation and nutrition. Early detection 

services, which are designed to detect cancer when a person has no symptoms of disease, can 

include referrals for screening mammograms, Pap tests, or prostate exams. 

 Home Health Care

 Home health care assists patients who no longer need to stay in a hospital or nursing 

home, but still require professional medical help. Skilled nursing care, physical therapy, social 

work services, and nutrition counseling are all available at home. 

Hospice Care

 Hospice is care focused on the special needs of terminally ill cancer patients. Sometimes 

called palliative care, it centers around providing comfort, controlling physical symptoms, and 
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giving emotional support to patients who can no longer benefit from curative treatment. Hospice 

programs provide services in various settings, including the patient’s home, hospice centers, 

hospitals, or skilled nursing facilities. Your doctor or social worker can provide a referral for 

these services. 

Rehabilitation

 Rehabilitation services help people adjust to the effects of cancer and its treatment. 

Physical rehabilitation focuses on recovery from the physical effects of surgery or the side 

effects associated with chemotherapy. Occupational or vocational therapy helps people readjust 

to everyday routines, get back to work, or find employment. 

Advocacy

 Advocacy is a general term that refers to promoting or protecting the rights and interests 

of a certain group, such as cancer patients. Advocacy groups may offer services to assist with 

legal, ethical, medical, employment, legislative, or insurance issues, among others. For instance, 

if you feel your insurance company has not handled your claim fairly, you may want to advocate 

for a review of its decision. 

Financial 

 Having cancer can be a tremendous financial burden to cancer patients and their families. 

There are programs sponsored by the Government and nonprofit organizations to help cancer 

patients with problems related to medical billing, insurance coverage, and reimbursement issues. 

There are also sources for financial assistance, and ways to get help collecting entitlements from 

Medicaid, Medicare, and the Social Security Administration. 
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Housing/Lodging 

 Some organizations provide lodging for the family of a patient undergoing treatment, 

especially if it is a child who is ill and the parents are required to accompany the child to 

treatment. 

 

Children’s Services 

 A number of organizations provide services for children with cancer, including summer 

camps, make-a-wish programs, and help for parents seeking child care. 

How To Find These Services 

 Often, the services that people with cancer are looking for are right in their own 

neighborhood or city. The following is a list of places where you can begin your search for help. 

• The hospital, clinic, or medical center where you see your doctor, received your 

diagnosis, or where you undergo treatment should be able to give you information. 

Your doctor or nurse may be able to tell you about your specific medical condition, 

pain management, rehabilitation services, home nursing, or hospice care. 

• Most hospitals also have a social work, home care, or discharge planning department. 

This department may be able to help you find a support group, a nonprofit agency that 

helps people who have cancer, or the government agencies that oversee Social 

Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. While you are undergoing treatment, be sure to 

ask the hospital about transportation, practical assistance, or even temporary child 

care. Talk to a hospital financial counselor in the business office about developing a 

monthly payment plan if you need help with hospital expenses. 

• The public library is an excellent source of information, as are patient libraries at 

many cancer centers. A librarian can help you find books and articles through a 

literature search. 

• A local church, synagogue, YMCA or YWCA, or fraternal order may provide 

financial assistance, or may have volunteers who can help with transportation and 

home care. Catholic Charities or the American Red Cross may also operate local 

offices. Some of these organizations may provide home care. 

• Local or county government agencies may offer low-cost transportation (sometimes 

called para-transit) to individuals unable to use public transportation. Most states also 
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have an Area Agency on Aging that offers low-cost services to people over 60. Your 

hospital or community social worker can direct you to government agencies for 

entitlements, including Social Security, state disability, Medicaid, income 

maintenance, and food stamps. (Keep in mind that most applications to entitlement 

programs take some time to process.) The Federal government also runs the 

Hill-Burton program (1–800–638–0742), which funds certain medical facilities and 

hospitals to provide cancer patients with free or low-cost care if they are in financial 

need. 

Getting the Most From a Service: What To Ask

 No matter what type of help you are looking for, the only way to find resources to fit 

your needs is to ask the right questions. When you are calling an organization for information, it 

is important to think about what questions you are going to ask before you call. Many people 

find it helpful to write out their questions in advance, and to take notes during the call. Another 

good tip is to ask the name of the person with whom you are speaking in case you have 

follow-up questions. Below are some of the questions you may want to consider if you are 

calling or visiting a new agency and want to learn about how they can help: 

• How do I apply [for this service]? 

• Are there eligibility requirements? What are they? 

• Is there an application process? How long will it take? What information will I need 

to complete the application process? Will I need anything else to get the service? 

• Do you have any other suggestions or ideas about where I can find help? 

The most important thing to remember is that you will rarely receive help unless you ask 

for it. In fact, asking can be the hardest part of getting help. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask 

for assistance. Cancer is a very difficult disease, but there are people and services that can ease 

your burdens and help you focus on your treatment and recovery. 
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This fact sheet was adapted with permission from Cancer Care, Inc., a nonprofit social service agency whose 

mission is to help people with cancer and their families. Cancer Care’s toll-free telephone number is 

1–800–813–HOPE. The National Cancer Institute and Cancer Care, Inc., are in partnership to increase awareness 

of the psychosocial issues faced by cancer patients and to provide resources to cancer patients and their families. 

# # # 

Related Resources

Publications (available at http://www.cancer.gov/publications) 

• National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 7.47, How To Find a Doctor or Treatment 

Facility If You Have Cancer

• National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 8.1, National Organizations That Offer Services 

to People With Cancer and Their Families

• National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 8.3, Financial Assistance for Cancer Care

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Resources

Cancer Information Service (toll-free)

 Telephone: 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) 

 TTY: 1–800–332–8615 

Online 

NCI’s Web site: http://www.cancer.gov 

LiveHelp, NCI’s live online assistance: 

https://cissecure.nci.nih.gov/livehelp/welcome.asp

This fact sheet was reviewed on 8/5/05