Resources for Individuals Fighting Cancer

Submitted by Bethany Schneider, ADRC Elder Benefit Specialist

According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 40% of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer sometime in their lifetime. This means that there is a high likelihood that you or someone you love has been affected by cancer. Below are some resources for individuals and their families who are fighting cancer together:

• One of the largest organizations with resources available is the American Cancer Society (https://www.cancer.org/)

• The Wisconsin Cancer Collaborative, in partnership with Covering Wisconsin, has Health Literacy Tools for Patients available here: https://wicancer.org/resources/how-to-sheets/. These Health Literacy Tools help patients and families answer questions about cancer risk factors, screenings, and insurance coverage. Most are available in English and in Spanish.

• There are also Cancer Support Communities (https://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/). The Cancer Support Community in Wisconsin is Gilda’s Club Madison (https://www.gildasclubmadison.org/). There is also a Gilda’s Club in Minneapolis, MN if that is closer for you (https://gildasclubmn.org/).

• Organizations dedicated to the specific cancer you are fighting can be a great resource and sometimes even offer financial assistance or grants to help bridge the gap when you’re fighting cancer. Some examples of organizations like this are below. This is not an exhaustive list, so you will want to do a web search for any other potential resources out there. -Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (https://www.lls.org/) -American Lung Association (https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer) -Susan G. Komen for Breast Cancer (https://www.komen.org/) -Project Purple (https://www.projectpurple.org/) for Pancreatic Cancer or the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation (https://www.npcf.us/) -The Prostate Cancer Foundation (https://www.pcf.org/) -The American Brain Tumor Association (https://www.abta.org/) or the National Brain Tumor Society (https://braintumor.org/)

• The website for Wisconsin’s Family Caregiver Support Programs also has a listing of cancer specific resources available here: https://wisconsincaregiver.org/cancer-specific-resources

• And finally, the Hospital or Clinic through which you are receiving your cancer care should have resources available to you and a social worker or case manager who can help you with issues such as travel, housing, financial assistance, and other concerns while fighting cancer.