Pathways Study Social Support Webinar Resources and Links
On September 21, 2023, we hosted the webinar “People, Places, and Breast Cancer: The Pathways Study and how our communities impact survival and quality of life.” While many webinar attendees asked about how and where to get support, our speakers and panelists emphasized that systems, like our medical systems and community structures, play a large role in what is available and the quality of support during and after treatment. A major point of this forum was that resources vary by place. Where there is more money, more services are usually available. People who live in neighborhoods with others from a similar culture often feel more supported with a greater sense of community.
More resources than ever are available online, via computer or smartphone. Many people with cancer and those caring for people with cancer find comfort in support groups, which can be led by professionals or peers. Others seek individual counseling or other activities. Some prefer programs that are in-person, while others seek support online for many reasons, such as they live in a remote area, are not mobile, or want to share with someone who has the same specific situation, which may not exist in their geographic area. Several webinar and Pathways Study participants noted that they had to keep searching to find support or the right kind of support for them during or after treatment. Mentors or buddies can be helpful. One size does not fit all when it comes to support.
A common place to start is by asking a healthcare provider. In addition to the resources provided by our speakers and panelists, attendees offered many resources, which are shared here in general categories. The following is not a complete list of resources, offerings and links may change over time, so please keep looking for what you or your loved one needs.
General Breast (and Other) Cancer Support Program and Services (In-person & Virtual):
- Search for an Accredited Breast Cancer Center Cancer
- Support Community (support programs and services with location search)
- SHARE Cancer Support (helpline and support groups)
- American Cancer Society (support programs and services)
- Komen Foundation (support programs and services)
- Imerman Angels (one-on-one mentor matching)
- Cancer.net online (support programs and services)
- National Breast Cancer Foundation (support groups)
- Pink Ribbon Good (peer support and services)
- Living Beyond Breast Cancer (online support groups and helpline)
Support for Specific Groups
- Young Survival Coalition (support services and programs for young adults, including metastatic disease and in Spanish)
- Tigerlily Foundation (prayer line and support for metastatic disease)
- Project Life Metastatic Breast Cancer (membership-based virtual wellness house)
- METAvivor (peer-to-peer support for metastatic disease)
- Sharsheret (Jewish breast cancer support and programs)
- LatinaSHARE (helpline and support groups in Spanish)
- African American Breast Cancer Alliance (online support programs)
- Male Breast Cancer Coalition
- CancerCare for LGBTQ+
- CancerCare for Kids (& teens)
- Cancer Support Community for kids and teens
Search for General Help (Not Specific to Cancer):
For Kaiser Permanente Members:
- Mental health services for KP members in Northern California
- Thrive Local Connections: 800-443-6328 (to access local community programs)
San Francisco Bay Area Resources:
- Women’s Cancer Resource Center (individual and group support programs and services)
- Bay Area Cancer Connections (support programs and services)
- Bay Area Young Survivors (online support and in-person events)
- Asian American Cancer Support Network (support programs and services)
- Latinas Contra Cancer (support and community programs)
Thank you again to our great speakers, Drs. Candyce Kroenke and Salma Shariff-Marco, excellent panelists Linda Felix-Monroe, Dr. Larry Kushi and Dr. Raymond Liu, and all who participated.
Other Resources Cited in Webinar:
- Social networks, social support, and quality of life in Pathways
- Social networks, social support, and mortality in LACE
- Social networks, social support, and breast cancer mortality in Nurses’ Health Study
- Social networks and breast cancer mortality in ABCPP
- Social support and adherence to endocrine therapy
- Contributions of neighborhood environments to health inequalities: Neighborhoods & Health
- Pathways: Neighborhood Data Resource, Existing geospatial data
- Pathways Neighborhood Data Resource Residential Histories
- How having children after breast cancer affects outcomes
