Finding the strength to deal with the changes brought about by breast cancer can be easier for patients and those who love them when they have appropriate support services. Many patients find it helpful to talk with others who are facing problems like theirs. Cancer patients often get together in self-help and support groups, where they can share what they have learned about cancer and its treatment and about coping with the disease. Often a social worker or nurse meets with the group.
Several organizations offer special programs for breast cancer patients.
Trained volunteers, who have had breast cancer themselves, may talk with or visit patients, provide information, and lend emotional support before and after treatment. They often share their experiences with breast cancer treatment, rehabilitation, and breast reconstruction. Friends and relatives, especially those who have had cancer themselves, can also be very supportive. It is important to keep in mind, however, that each patient is different. Treatment and ways of dealing with cancer that work for one person may not be right for another, even if they both have the same kind of cancer.