Breast Cancer Support Available Locally, Online

One in 8 American women and 1 in 1,000 American men will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. It’s estimated that more than 2 million people are diagnosed with breast cancer and fight for their lives each year.

Breast cancer is difficult to face alone—for both patients and their loved ones, and the American Cancer Society offers "I Can Cope" classes at Botsford Hospital to help provide support for all adult cancer patients and caregivers.

Classes will be held Nov. 14, in the hospital's Zieger Administration and Education Building, from 9:45 a.m. until 11:45 a.m., and are open to the public. Their focus is giving adults more knowledge about cancer and treatments, which, in turn, will make them better equipped to handle each step of the journey. Some topics include diagnosis and treatment, side effects of treatment, community resources, and much more. 

To register for "I Can Cope," please call 800-227-2345 or for more information visit cancer.org. 

Not only do groups offer emotional support, but being a part of a support group can actually help patients feel less depressed and can help to reduce physical pain, according to a 2001 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Patients who aren’t big fans of group settings but still want to reap the benefits can turn to technology. It’s hard to duplicate in-person support groups on the web, but the recently launched breast cancer specific social networking platform, MyBreastCancerTeam comes close.

The site and mobile app caters to breast cancer survivors, and women who have been recently diagnosed. Users can find suggestions for doctors and find similar users based on location, diagnosis and age. Members also have access to a peer-driven Q&A section where they can read and write posts.

TELL US: Do you know of any breast cancer support groups in the community? How have they helped you?