For many people, a diagnosis of cancer brings about complicated feelings of fear, anger, or sadness. Most family members and friends are eager to offer their help and support. For some people, though, talking openly about cancer with someone without a history of the disease is difficult. Support groups are a good place to connect with other people coping with cancer. What might also help is to connect with a survivor of the same type of cancer—someone who has already faced the issues before you now. Fortunately, many organizations offer “buddy programs” where you can be matched with a survivor of the same type of cancer to get one-on-one support throughout your cancer treatment.

Imerman Angels

Imerman Angels offers a free service that matches people living with cancer (“cancer fighters”) with someone who has completed treatment for the same type of cancer (“cancer survivors”). Imerman Angles matches cancer fighters with survivors who share other traits in common, such as age, gender, geographic location, or anything else important to the cancer fighter. Imerman Angels helps caregivers, too, by matching them with another caregiver to receive emotional support and encouragement. By 2013, the group’s mission is for every person with cancer in the United States to have free access to a cancer survivor within 24 hours of being diagnosed.

To be matched with a cancer survivor, call Imerman Angels at 877-274-5529. A representative (a cancer survivor) will ask you a few questions and then search a national database to make a careful selection based on the factors you request. Once the introduction is made, you and your survivor are free to shape the relationship as you wish. Some pairs meet and talk in person, while others talk by phone or exchange e-mails.

The one-on-one relationship gives you a chance to share your feelings, ask questions, and receive encouragement. Your survivor may share what the treatment process was like for him or her, plus other helpful information, such as coping with side effects from treatment or tips on coping with difficult feelings, such as fear and anxiety. For an example on how Imerman Angel’s helped a woman with breast cancer, read the Editor’s Note below.

Imerman Angels is one of several organizations that offer one-on-one support programs. Here are some additional programs.

American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society (ACS) offers several programs that connect people with cancer with cancer survivors.

Reach to Recovery. This program connects men and women coping with breast cancer with volunteers who are breast cancer survivors. Volunteers provide emotional support to people at all stages of breast cancer, from people concerned about a possible diagnosis to survivors. Volunteers receive regular training and provide information on lumpectomy, mastectomy, breast reconstruction, lymphedema (buildup of fluid in the arms or legs), and recurrence (return of cancer). Volunteers can also provide a temporary breast form and information on permanent breast prostheses. To learn more about Reach to Recovery, call ACS at 800-ACS-2345 (800-227-2345).

Man to Man. Men coping with prostate cancer can connect with volunteers who are prostate cancer survivors in this free program. Volunteers arrange monthly meetings in local communities where speakers talk about treatment options, side effects, and tips on coping. In some local groups, one-on-one visitation with a prostate cancer survivor is available. Some local groups also invite the partners of men coping with prostate cancer to the support meetings. Or, partners meet separately in a group called Side by Side. To locate a Man to Man group in your area, call ACS at 800-227-2345.

Cancer-specific groups

Another option to locate a support buddy who has gone through the same type of cancer is to contact organizations that focus on a specific type of cancer. Here are some examples of these organizations offering “buddy programs.”

Colon Cancer Alliance. Survivors in this group’s buddy program offer emotional support, share personal stories, and listen to people coping with colorectal cancer. People with cancer and their families learn about treatment, side effects, and other important issues, such as life with a colostomy (a surgical opening, or stoma, through which the colon is connected to the abdominal surface to provide a pathway for waste to exit the body). Once people with colorectal cancer are matched with a buddy, the pair is free to shape the relationship and choose how and how often to be in touch. To learn more about the program, call the Colon Cancer Alliance at 877-422-2030.

Lung Cancer Alliance. This organization provides a Phone Buddy Program where people living with lung cancer are matched with volunteers who have completed or are going through treatment. Volunteers receive training and have access to all of the Lung Cancer Alliance’s resources. Caregivers and family members can also be matched with a buddy coping with a similar situation. Contact the Lung Cancer Alliance at 800-298-2436 for more information.

Young Adults

Young adults with cancer may find it challenging to connect with someone their own age who has faced a similar type of cancer. Here are a couple options:

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. This organization partners with Imerman Angles to offer a Survivors and Loved Ones’ Network. Young adults with cancer are matched with a survivor who shares similar traits. Once a match is made, survivors offer peer support and mentoring over e-mail. Parents and family members can also be matched with someone coping with a similar situation. Contact The Ulman Cancer Fund at 888-393-FUND (888-393-3863) for more information.

Young Survival Coalition. Younger women with breast cancer can connect with younger women who are survivors in this group’s Point of Contact program. Matches can be made based on specific concerns and issues, such as preparing for a mastectomy and breast reconstruction, and coping with cultural issues, metastatic disease, and family genetics of breast cancer. Find out more about the program by contacting the Young Survival Coalition at 877-YSC-1011. (877-972-1011).

To find out more about buddy and support programs offered by other organizations, find a list of patient information resources and contact them directly to see if they offer a service.

Editor’s Note: Here is one example of how Imerman Angel’s helped a woman with breast cancer find a support buddy:

Despite being a doctor with advanced knowledge of cancer, the chance to personally relate to someone who already faced breast cancer is why Katherine Blossfield Iannitelli became a part of Imerman Angels. Katherine was diagnosed at age 37 during her surgical residency. “Upon receiving my diagnosis, the first person I wanted to talk to was someone who had the cancer—someone who had actually gone through the chemotherapy and radiation therapy,” Katherine says. After contacting Imerman Angels, Katherine was quickly matched with a breast cancer survivor.

Katherine shared her practical concerns and worries with her survivor. “I remember having headaches during treatment and was worried that the tumor had spread to my brain,” she says. “She reassured me that my fears were normal…There were so many things like that which were hard to talk about with anyone else.”

Upon successfully completing treatment, Katherine struggled with her feelings, which she says is something her buddy predicted would happen. Katherine worked though her feelings with the help of her survivor.

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Last Updated: April 20, 2009