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From July 16-18, CancerCare will be at BlogHer 2015, the world’s largest conference for women content creators, doing what we do best: encouraging others to talk about cancer. To learn more, visit us at Booth 2004, or join us tomorrow at 1:30 pm for a Twitterstorm, where CancerCare and our partners will be tweeting information about Pillow Talk and the importance of starting conversations about cancer: follow #CancerTalk.

As many patients and families know all too well, a cancer diagnosis can make the daily challenges that once seemed relatively simple suddenly become overwhelming. At CancerCare, we strive to provide assistance to people with cancer that can help cover costs related to treatment, to ease some of that extra burden and provide peace of mind.

That is why we are extremely pleased to share that CancerCare has received $1.5 million from Susan G. Komen to assist people diagnosed with breast cancer.

A cancer diagnosis is often challenging and may trigger a world of unexpected emotions. During this time, it may be hard to make informed decisions. The myths (and even some of the realities) surrounding the word “cancer” can cause patients and families to act out of fear, and prevent them from researching their options or engaging with their health care team. CancerCare intern Breana McDonald provides some easy, practical tips for informed decision-making: a practice that can make all the difference when coping with cancer.

With over 30,000 members of the cancer community in attendance, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting is one of the biggest events of the year for breakthroughs in cancer research. Our recap aims to give a quick glance at the meeting’s highlights.

If you’d like to take a deeper dive into ASCO, you can listen to our Connect Education Workshop series, “Your Guide to the Latest Cancer Research and Treatments,” which features updates from ASCO 2015.

On the first weekend of June, CancerCare hosted the seventh annual Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp, a free retreat for families with children coping with the loss of a loved one to cancer. In the second part of our blog post about the camp, the families take advantage of the many activities offered by the Malibu Dude Ranch, including horseback riding, fishing, archery and paddleboating.

The families also participated in a memorial candle lighting service, saw a rodeo show and attended a resilience panel, featuring talks by CancerCare clients who experienced the loss of a parent, a spouse or a child, and found ways to cope over time.

On the first weekend of June, CancerCare hosted the seventh annual Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp, a free retreat for families with children coping with the loss of a loved one to cancer. 31 families spent the weekend at Malibu Dude Ranch in Milford, PA at a star-themed retreat, where they swam, rode horses and processed their healing journey.

“I had the chance to talk to many people, grieving from different losses – children, parents, spouses. Everyone was raising children in the midst of this,” recounts Theta P. “We were able to listen to each other and tell stories; we understood each other the way few can.”

It’s that time of year again! The weather is nice and the sun is blazing, but it’s important to remember that too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin and act as a major cause of skin cancer. The good news is that you can make small changes to your daily life to prevent skin damage and detect signs of skin cancer early.

CancerCare’s first Survivorship Celebration took place on June 4th in our New York office. Over 60 former CancerCare clients attended the event, including patients, caregivers and many loved ones. The event provided the opportunity for those affected by cancer who have used CancerCare’s services to meet one another, share their stories and recognize each other’s resilience. The highlight of the celebration was a series of presentations from patients and caregivers - read on to hear their stories.

Children can have many different reactions when they learn that they or someone they love has been diagnosed with cancer. CancerCare for Kids provides free, professional support services for parents, children and adolescents affected by cancer, as well as information about helping children understand cancer and additional resources.

Today, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting kicks off in Chicago, Illinois. To commemorate the start of this key event, CancerCare’s Education Program staff take a look back at how access of cancer patients to supportive care has improved in the last twenty years, and examine the changing needs of patients over this time period.