Talking about cancer with family and friends can be difficult. Support groups can help cancer patients and survivors feel less alone and can help them deal with the emotional and everyday challenges cancer brings. They also may share information about their disease, side effects of treatment, or issues such as employment and insurance. Cancer support groups may be led by other cancer patients or by a health professional such as a psychologist, social worker or counselor. Groups may be just for teens and young adults, for women only, or for a particular disease, such as breast cancer.
Most groups are free but some charge a fee.
Family and friends also are affected when cancer touches someone they love. They may need help in dealing with family problems, worries about money, and changing roles within the family. Many groups encourage families and friends to participate along with the patient or survivor. Some groups are designed just for family members of people with cancer. The UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center offers a wide range of free support groups through its Ida and Joseph Friend Cancer Resource Center , which also maintains a large database of other support groups in the northern California area.