 When cancer impacts a person's life, new social components and experiences emerge. People dealing with cancer—patients, family members, friends—endure a range of social challenges and opportunities. Social issues that existed before cancer may also intensify during and after cancer. Understanding and receiving social support when dealing with cancer is an essential part of integrative cancer care for the whole person.
Self-awareness about social issues, including understanding new thoughts and emotions, can feel difficult to define. Along with cultivating awareness about how you feel socially in relation to yourself and other people, communication is extremely important. Communication helps reduce the sense of isolation. Identifying what you need and strategies to have your needs met, including asking for help, cultivates social support through your cancer journey.
Cancer impacts the community and is therefore a significant social issue. When one person is dealing with cancer, everyone is touched by cancer. The social fabric needs to weave through people affected by cancer and hold them as they confront their diagnosis and engage their healing path. The experience of social support can include family members, friends, the professional community through work and services, as well as spirituality.
People cannot go through cancer alone. Either immediately or over time, relationships either become stronger or weaker. Support can be fleeting to enduring from a one-time form of supportive giving to family members and friends offering more frequent and even steadfast, loving care. While social support does not always occur automatically, some support can be cultivated. Ultimately cancer helps to show more about who you are and who you are with.
Explore our Social section for information about some common social issues people affected by cancer encounter with themselves, other people, and society as a whole. Learn about strategies to strengthen support when dealing with cancer. We hope that our cancer information and resources support you, and wish you optimal health and healing.
Community and Cancer
How do you define, experience, and perceive community and connection? Read important perspectives with ways to explore and create support.
Relationship and Social Tips for People with Cancer
The cancer experience may involve high levels of stress in relationships. Understanding common relationship challenges and solutions offers helpful information to enhance self-awareness and strengthen meaningful connections.
Self-Care Tips for Caregivers
Caregivers must practice self-care for nourishment and replenishment when affected by cancer to a loved one. Read about feelings, reactions, and coping strategies.
Psychological Support and Cancer
Talking with a trained professional and/or a group of people affected by cancer, including cancer patients during and after treatments as well as cancer caregivers, offers some people significant social support. Learn about cancer resources for telephone and in-person support.
Online Circles of Cancer Support
Do you need ways to connect with your community online? These cancer resources allow you to create your own website for your family and friends.
Connecting Cancer Survivors
Some cancer survivors connect with other cancer survivors, and even affected by the same type of cancer. Learn about organizations and websites creating support for cancer survivors through matching patients, cancer survivors after treatments, and even caregivers.
Young Adults with Cancer
People affected by cancer between the ages of 15 and 39 confront unique, unaddressed needs. Learn about these issues and resources supporting young adults with cancer.
Cancer Stories
Read informative, inspiring cancer stories authored by people diagnosed with cancer and caregivers with insights into navigating the cancer journey and using integrative cancer care.
Sexuality and Cancer
Both women and men dealing with cancer may experience changes and challenges psychologically and physically in relation to their sexuality. Learn about these issues with tips for managing them.
Social Disparities in Cancer
Social disparities in cancer are health inequities. Read about the areas and multiple levels where social disparities in cancer occur.
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You are what you eat! Some foods kill cancer cells and others promote cancer cell growth. Learning the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods in the midst of cancer is essential.
 Cancer Resources
Knowledge is power. Reliable resources are empowering. We provide clear information, explanations, and maps to educate and empower. Explore our integrative cancer care resources for navigation tools and support.
 Mind-Body Strategies
The mental and emotional inner life impacts health and healing through the mind-body connection. Learn about empowering mind-body practices supporting mind, body, and spirit for cancer patients and caregivers.
 Spiritual Support
The spiritual dimensions of life often become more prominent in the midst of cancer for cancer patients and their loved ones. Explore our empowering information about spirituality for support and strategies.
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