The American Cancer Society Cancer Resource Network is the Society’s network of services available to assist persons affected by cancer, especially newly diagnosed patients and their caregivers. The network of services includes providing high-quality, timely, understandable information to support decision-making. It also includes connecting patients and their caregivers with services and programs that are provided directly from the Society, as well as providing referrals to external resources that will help meet their needs.
INFORMATION
www.cancer.org and 1-800-227-2345
Information and resources can be found online or trained Cancer Information Specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide timely cancer information and community resources to individuals who call the Society’s toll-free information line at 1-800-ACS-2345.
Learn what to expect and how to plan
Understand cancer
Understand treatment options
Find help with insurance concerns, including Medicare and Medicaid
Find financial resources that may be available
Find local support groups, transportation help, and available lodging for treatment facilities far from home
Find a clinical trial
Locate a hospital
Learn about other programs that we offer that might be helpful
Find American Cancer Society books and publications about cancer topics
Strategic Outreach
The American Cancer Society Patient Navigator Program focuses on the placement of trained American Cancer Society staff in strategically selected health care facilities that service large, medically underserved cancer populations. Services included in the American Cancer Society Patient Navigator Program include:
Provide cancer information to patients, caregivers and families
Provide guidance for persons with concrete needs
Facilitate a link to American Cancer Society programs and services
Facilitate a link to local, state, and national resources
Facilitate assistance for those with cultural or language barriers by directing to appropriate resources
DAY TO DAY HELP
Transportation Assistance
We may have transportation services or be able to find someone in the community to provide help with a ride to cancer-related medical appointments. Road to Recovery drivers are volunteers who donate their time and the use of their personal vehicles to get patients to and from medical appointments.
Lodging Assistance
The American Cancer Society provides resources for free or low-cost lodging when someone needs treatment far from home. American Cancer Society Hope Lodges provide a temporary home for patients receiving active treatment.
Help with Financial and Insurance Questions
People with cancer often have concerns about how they will pay for their treatment and what legal protections they have. We can help with understanding these issues and finding resources. We can help find public and private programs that help people pay for their prescription costs, for example. Help to pay for Durable Medical Equipment is available through our At Home Program. The American Cancer Society also has gift items e.g. wigs, hats, turbans, breast prostheses and bras available free of charge. Youth scholarships are offered for the college-bound.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
An on-line community for patients, survivors, and caregivers was created by and for cancer survivors and caregivers as a creative means to connect with others who have been touched by cancer, share similar experiences and foster the renewal of spirit and personal growth. The Cancer Survivors Network can be found at www.acscsn.org.
Needed information and support is available to all those facing breast cancer through connections with trained American Cancer Society Reach to Recovery volunteers who are breast cancer survivors.
Look Good…Feel Better sessions are workshops where women with cancer learn beauty techniques to restore not only their appearance, but also their self-esteem. This program is a partnership between the American Cancer Society, the National Cosmetology Association, and the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association.
American Cancer Society’s Man to Man is program that offers community-based group education, discussion, and support for those facing prostate cancer.
Summer camps provide children with cancer and their families a support system of peers who understand their experiences. While children participate in hands-on activities to develop creativity, physical endurance, mental challenges, and team building, adults gain mutual support and understanding of childhood cancer family issues through support groups led by professionals.
Learn more about your cancer and how to manage some of the challenges by attending I Can Cope, a series of educational classes given by doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide information, encouragement, and practical tips on how to deal with cancer treatment. I Can Cope modules are also available online at www.cancer.org/icancope.
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