Resource Guide for Cancer Patients and Their Families Released

Helping Hand: The Resource Guide for People with Cancer, published by Cancer Care, Inc., is designed to “show what kinds of help are available, and where to find that help.” The second edition of A Helping Hand was recently released with updated listings, new sections (eg, using the Internet to find resources), and a myriad of information on national, regional, and local cancer-related organizations that provide important services for people with cancer. Included in the listings of A Helping Hand are the names of support groups, as well as medical information about a specific type of cancer, a second opinion, financial assistance, or hospice care.

“What does my diagnosis mean? What can I expect? How can I prepare myself and my family to cope better? These are questions we get asked every day,” says Diane Blum, executive director of Cancer Care, Inc. “We remind people that information is a powerful tool, one that can help them cope with their diagnoses and improve the quality of care they receive.” With that in mind, Cancer Care created the first Helping Hand Resource Guide a year ago and, because demand for the book was so strong, we updated the information for this second edition.

A Helping Hand is user-friendly—all of the major listings are prefaced by icons telling readers at a glance what services are offered. In addition, the listings are indexed alphabetically, by service, by cancer site, by e-mail, by web page, and by toll-free “800” number. State pharmaceutical assistance programs and indigent drug programs are also included, as are NCI Cancer Centers, boutiques, and specialty shops of particular interest to patients with cancer, and professional associations.

A Helping Hand was developed with support from Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, and is available through Cancer Care by calling its national toll-free number, 1-800-813-HOPE (4673).

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