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. To help in the battle, there are a number of local resources and support groups.
- Breast Cancer Support Group at Christian Hospital in North St. Louis County. To attend, contact 314-653-4395 or Silva McDonald at 314-653-5733. This group meets on the second Monday of each month from 7-8:30 p.m.
- The Young Women’s Group: Contact Jen Ivanovich to receive information about the monthly programs and annual symposium at 314-454-5076 or Ivanovichj@siteman.wustl.edu.
- Breast Cancer Support Group at St. Joseph Health Center. To attend, contact 636-947-5503 for more information. This group meets the second Monday of the month, 7-9 p.m.
- Life After Breast Cancer Support Group meets at SSM St. Joseph Medical Park inSt. Charles. This meeting is also video conferenced to
SSM St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis. This group, sponsored by SSM Breast Care and supported by the Karen Weidinger Foundation, provides education and support for breast cancer survivors. It meets the third Tuesday of each month, 5:30-7:30 p.m. A light dinner is provided at both locations. To RSVP, email Karen with the subject line: LABC or call 636-498-7923. - Grief Support Group at SSM DePaul Health Center at the Bridgeton Trails Public Library. This is a support group for those who are grieving due to the loss of a loved one or a traumatic event that may be affecting their daily life. The group meets on the third Tuesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call 344-7080 or 344-6873.
“Support groups are really beneficial,” says Debra Somerrs Copit, MD, Director of Breast Imaging at Albert Einstein Medical Center, and a member of the medical advisory board for Living Beyond Breast Cancer.
“When patients are told they’re sick, it can be an out of body experience and they aren’t taking in everything the doctor is saying. It can be helpful to have someone to turn to and learn from who has gone through the same thing,” says Copit, who is a breast cancer survivor herself.
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 peer-driven Q&A section where they can read and write posts.
While a web platform may be useful for some, Dr.Copit worries that online forums can sometimes trigger the spread of misinformation. She suggests that patients who can’t make it to an in-person support group try calling a phone line.
Living Beyond Breast Cancer has a confidential survivors’ helpline that connects patients with others of similar background, going through similar situation. Call (888) 753-LBBC (5222) for more information.
TELL US: Do you know of any breast cancer support groups in the community? How have they helped you?
