Breast Cancer Resources
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Nursing@Simmons put together the following resource guide to highlight some of the groups and organizations that serve patients, caregivers, families, and anyone impacted by breast cancer. The list includes resources related to financial assistance, community-based support, advocacy, and coping with the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Jump to:
Financial Assistance Resources
Community-Based Support Resources
Resources for Coping with Diagnosis
Resources for Coping with Treatment
Resources for Coping with Recovery
Financial Assistance
The resources below offer financial support programs for patients and families coping with any stage of breast cancer.
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
The NBCCEDP is operated through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more than 20 years the NBCCEDP has provided low-income, uninsured, and underserved women access to necessary breast and cervical cancer services.
Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition
The CFAC is a group of organizations, which includes the American Cancer Society, the Patient Access Network Foundation, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. CFAC works to limit financial challenges for cancer patients by advocating on behalf of patients and educating providers about the collective resources of member organizations.
GiveForward allows patients and families to create their own fundraisers. Highlighting that the average woman facing breast cancer will have to pay more than $20,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, GiveForward simplifies the process of raising funds to support a loved one in need.
CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation
This nonprofit organization assists patients with covering the cost of co-payments for chemotherapy and treatment drugs.
The PAF works to serve as a liaison between a patient and their insurer to ensure that patients are safeguarded through preservation of financial stability, maintenance of employment, and access to care. In addition, they provide robust financial aid services for patients.
American Breast Cancer Foundation
The ABCF works to ensure that breast cancer screenings and diagnostic tests are available to all individuals regardless of age or gender. They provide financial assistance to uninsured or underserved individuals to receive the necessary care.
Avon Foundation for Women — Breast Health Outreach Program
The Avon Foundation for Women’s BHOP works to connect low-income women with the resources they need for breast cancer screenings and education services.
Patient Access Network Foundation
The PANF provides financial assistance to those who may otherwise be unable to afford necessary treatments for chronic or life-threatening illness.
American Cancer Society — Understanding Financial and Legal Matters
The ACS has compiled information regarding the financial and legal complications that come with a cancer diagnosis.
Community-Based Support Resources
These resources provide support for patients who have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and would like to be connected with the broader breast cancer community.
The Pink Link operates an online database of breast cancer survivors, family members, and friends to connect them with each other and foster a sense of community. This organization aims to empower women to obtain a “healthy survivorship of breast cancer.”
This organization provides free one-on-one support for patients, caregivers, and survivors. Imerman Angels works to connect individuals at various stages of their breast cancer journey to offer support and care.
Avon 39 — The Walk to End Breast Cancer
Since 2003, more than 200,000 people have walked in the Avon 39 in support of research funding, awareness projects, and education while providing assistance for families currently battling breast cancer.
United Way connects patients with important community services and volunteer opportunities.
Hallmark Health Systems, Massachusetts
Hallmark Health Medical Associates offers valuable breast cancer support to women at any stage of their diagnosis. You do not need to be a patient at Hallmark to attend the group.
Breast Cancer Support Group provided by Lahey Clinic Medical Center — North Shore
Lahey Clinic offers a support group for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Adult patients, their family members, and caretakers are all invited to attend. There is no cost for attending, but registration is required.
Breast Cancer Support Group provided by Newton — Wellesley Hospital
Newton-Wellesley Hospital offers a support group for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. The hope is that patients from the Greater Boston area are able to cope with diagnoses and make meaning of this illness.
Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
FORCE helps women recognize their risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and offers resources on support, education, advocacy, and awareness, specific to these hereditary forms of cancer. There are support groups that meet across the country as well.
Casting for Recovery aims to empower women with breast cancer through the sport of fly-fishing. They aim to educate women about cancer and offer peer support. The retreats are open to breast cancer survivors and patients in all stages of treatment. They are free to participants.
Advocacy
The resources below have dedicated their efforts toward advocating, both on policy and on an individual level, on behalf of breast cancer patients and survivors.
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
This organization works with legislators to represent both cancer patients and survivors and improve the quality of their care from the moment they are diagnosed. They advocate for cancer survivors affecting policy change at the national level.
The PAF works to serve as a liaison between a patient and their insurer to ensure that patients are safeguarded through preservation of financial stability, maintenance of employment, and access to care. In addition, they provide robust financial aid services for patients.
National Breast Cancer Coalition
The National Breast Cancer Coalition has set a deadline of January 1, 2020, to know how to end breast cancer. Through their advocacy efforts, more than $2.89 billion of federal funding has been allocated for breast cancer research.
Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
FORCE helps women recognize their risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and offers resources on support, education, advocacy, and awareness, specific to these hereditary forms of cancer. There are support groups that meet across the country as well.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The NCCN is an alliance of the world’s leading cancer centers, which focus on improving the efficiency of cancer care. They do this through research and education.
The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition
The MBCC advocates for public policy changes on behalf of breast cancer patients and aims to prevent environmental causes of breast cancer through community education.
The NCI operates the National Cancer Program through which they are able to educate and support research surrounding the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer. They also focus on the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients.
National Breast Cancer Foundation
The National Breast Cancer Foundation provides early detection programs, patient support services, and education opportunities to those affected by breast cancer.
Bright Pink is the only national-level nonprofit dedicated to early screening and detection of breast cancer in young women. They encourage women to live proactively at a young age and educate them on breast and ovarian cancer.
This is the only national nonprofit designed to provide resources specifically geared toward helping men become effective caregivers.
YSC designs educational programs to reach audiences far and wide beyond young women affected by breast cancer. These resources are aimed to benefit the medical community, friends, family members, caregivers, and the general public.
Breast Cancer Research Foundation
The BCRF invests in the prevention and cure of breast cancer by helping to advance research and critical funding for tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, metastasis, and survivorship.
Breast Cancer Action is an organization recognizing breast cancer as an epidemic and as a social justice issue. The organization aims to achieve health justice for all women affected by the illness and to shift away from the mainstream focal points of the breast cancer movement.
Coping with Diagnosis
These resources are aimed at supporting patients as they receive their diagnosis and begin to take next steps.
American Cancer Society Reach To Recovery Program
The ACS Reach to Recovery program offers emotional support for people to cope with their breast cancer experience from diagnosis through recovery and for as long as breast cancer remains a personal concern.
Dana Farber Cancer Institute — Patient and Family Support
The Dana Farber Cancer Institute offers emotional support groups for patients and their families. Additional services include a creative arts program, exercise classes, and nutrition counseling.
Susan G. Komen Foundation of Massachusetts
The Susan G. Komen Foundation is perhaps one of the most well-known supporters of the fight against breast cancer. The Massachusetts chapter has compiled a variety of resources, which include support groups and education programs.
This nonprofit organization aims to support patients and their families as they make complex decisions regarding breast cancer treatments.
Hallmark Health Systems, Massachusetts
Hallmark Health Medical Associates offers valuable breast cancer support to women at any stage of their diagnosis. You do not need to be a patient at Hallmark to attend the group.
Breast Cancer Support Group provided by Lahey Clinic Medical Center — North Shore
Lahey Clinic offers a support group for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Adult patients, their family members, and caretakers are all invited to attend. There is no cost for attending, but registration is required.
National Breast Cancer Foundation
The National Breast Cancer Foundation provides early detection programs, patient support services, and education opportunities to those affected by breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Support Group provided by Newton — Wellesley Hospital
Newton-Wellesley Hospital offers a support group for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. The hope is that patients from the Greater Boston area are able to cope with diagnoses and make meaning of this illness.
Coping with Treatment
American Cancer Society — Hope Lodge
The ACS Hope Lodge offers patients and caregivers a free place to stay should treatment be located far from home.
BCT encourages individuals who have received a breast cancer diagnosis to consider clinical trials as a routine option for care and does so by providing individuals with breast cancer research studies that are right for them.
Hallmark Health Systems, Massachusetts
Hallmark Health Medical Associates offers valuable breast cancer support to women at any stage of their diagnosis. You do not need to be a patient at Hallmark to attend the group.
Breast Cancer Support Group provided by Lahey Clinic Medical Center — North Shore
Lahey Clinic offers a support group for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Adult patients, their family members, and caretakers are all invited to attend. There is no cost for attending, but registration is required.
Breast Cancer Support Group provided by Newton — Wellesley Hospital
Newton-Wellesley Hospital offers a support group for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. The hope is that patients from the Greater Boston area are able to cope with diagnoses and make meaning of this illness.
Casting for Recovery aims to empower women with breast cancer through the sport of fly-fishing. They aim to educate women about cancer and offer peer support. The retreats are open to breast cancer survivors and patients in all stages of treatment. They are free to participants.
The Cancer Support Community works to provide emotional support and to connect patients to supportive online and in-person communities.
Coping with Recovery
LBBC provides a variety of programs and services to people whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer.
This organization works with breast cancer survivors to provide resources for breast reconstruction. My Hope Chest provides financial assistance to uninsured or underinsured breast cancer survivors for reconstructive surgery to provide closure to the breast cancer journey.
Hallmark Health Systems, Massachusetts
Hallmark Health Medical Associates offers valuable breast cancer support to women at any stage of their diagnosis. You do not need to be a patient at Hallmark to attend the group.
Breast Cancer Support Group provided by Lahey Clinic Medical Center — North Shore
Lahey Clinic offers a support group for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Adult patients, their family members, and caretakers are all invited to attend. There is no cost for attending, but registration is required.
Breast Cancer Support Group provided by Newton — Wellesley Hospital
Newton-Wellesley Hospital offers a support group for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. The hope is that patients from the Greater Boston area are able to cope with diagnoses and make meaning of this illness.
The Cancer Support Community works to provide emotional support and to connect patients to supportive online and in-person communities.