Patient and Caregiver Support

Find the support you need

One of the Lung Cancer Initiative’s goals is helping educate patients to understand all their treatment options. A key part of living with lung cancer or helping a friend or family member through their treatment is finding reliable information.

Educational Resources

Caregiver Resources

Financial and Legal Resources

Local Cancer Resources

Educational Resources

We believe it’s important to provide information to patients and caregivers in a manageable way, and provide print materials to make the facts about lung cancer more comprehensible. Below are the materials we have produced to help educate and empower lung cancer advocates and patients.

If you are interested in receiving any of the materials printed, please fill out this form or download them yourself below!

LCI Organizational Brochure	Clinical Trial Rack Card
Biomarker Testing Rack Card	Screening Risk Assessment Tool
Lung Cancer Fact Sheet	Patient Journal
Access to Care Gas Card Program	Myths and Facts Bookmark

Patient Resources

American Society of Clinical Oncology

The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) mission is to improve cancer care and prevention. ASCO is dedicated to advancing the education of oncologists and oncology professionals, advocating for policies that increase and provide access to high-quality cancer care, and supporting increased clinical and translational research to improve the care and treatment of people living with cancer.

ASCO Answers Patient Education Materials

Comprehensive, patient-friendly guides that contain trusted information about the diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and psychosocial effects of a specific cancer.

CancerCare

Founded in 1944, CancerCare® is the national leader in providing professional services to help people manage the emotional and financial challenges of cancer.

CancerGRACE

CancerGRACE is a nonprofit organization that was developed as a means of improving the overall medical care for cancer patients by democratizing cutting edge information on optimal cancer management and providing it directly to patients

Cancer.net

Oncologist-approved cancer information from the American Society of Clinical
Oncology.

Caring Ambassadors Lung Cancer Program

The Caring Ambassadors Lung Cancer Program works daily to:
● Address the informational needs of people living with lung cancer and their loved
ones
● Provide compassion and support to those facing the many challenges of lung
cancer
● Increase lung cancer awareness to augment the priority of lung cancer on local,
state, and national health agendas (both public and private)
● Bring hope to families living with lung cancer

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) members work to
enhance the understanding of lung cancer among scientists, members of the medical community and the public. IASLC publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, a valuable resource for medical specialists and scientists who focus on the detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is the nonprofit collaboration of patients and families, physicians, advocates, and researchers dedicated to eradicating the life-ending and vicious effects of mesothelioma.

National Cancer Institute

The National Cancer Institute coordinates the National Cancer Program, which
conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) offers guidelines for patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer as well as other diseases. They aim to provide people with cancer and the general public with state-of-the-art cancer treatment information in easy-to-understand language. The guidelines are meant to help patients with cancer talk with their physicians about the best treatment options for their disease. NCCN Guidelines for Patients do not replace the expertise and clinical judgment of the physician.

Patient Empowerment Network

Patient Empowerment Network’s (PEN) mission is to fortify cancer patients and care partners with the knowledge and tools to boost their confidence, put them in control of their healthcare journey, and assist them in receiving the best, most personalized care available to ensure they have the best possible outcome.Their programs enhance patient health literacy to enable shared decision-making and provide informational and educational resources to empower patients and care partners at every step of their cancer journey.

Information about Hypertrophic Pulmonary Osteoarthropathy (HPOA)

“Although it’s uncommon, hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, or HPOA, is an odd and therefore memorable syndrome that can be a side effect of lung cancer. It features an abnormal proliferation of skin and bone tissue, primarily in the hands and feet. Patients can develop clubbing, which is most commonly associated with NSCLC (up to 1/3 of patients) more than SCLC (only about 5%), and adenocarcinoma in particular.” – Dr. West, Cancer Grace

Caregiver Resources

Family Caregiver Alliance

Founded in 1977, Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) was the first community-based nonprofit organization in the country to address the needs of families and friends providing long-term care at home. Long recognized as a pioneer in health services, FCA now offers programs at national, state and local levels to support and sustain caregivers.

The Center for Volunteer Caregiving

The Center for Volunteer Caregiving helps older adults and adults with disabilities in Wake County live independently for as long as possible. Our clients find themselves aging without family members who can provide help and without a community of support.

Financial and Legal Resources

CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation

The CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps people being treated for cancer afford co-payments for chemotherapy and targeted treatment drugs, ensuring their access to care for prescribed treatments.

Cancer Insurance Checklist

The Cancer Insurance Checklist is designed to help you when shopping for insurance on your state’s Health Insurance Marketplace/Exchange if you have cancer, a history of cancer, or are at risk for cancer.

Patient Advocate Foundation

Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) is a national nonprofit organization which provides professional case management services to Americans with chronic, life threatening and debilitating illnesses. Finding Ways to Pay for Care (National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship)cc Mission: To advocate for quality cancer care for all people touched by cancer.

Partnership for Prescription Assistance

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage get the medicines they need for free or nearly free.

Lung Cancer Initiative’s Gas Card Program

The Lung Cancer Initiative Access to Care Gas Card Program provides assistance to lung cancer patients while seeking treatment including clinical trials. The goal of the program is to lessen the financial burden for patients to receive appropriate lung cancer treatment by providing gas cards.

Triage Cancer

Triage Cancer is a national, nonprofit organization that provides education on the practical and legal issues that may impact individuals diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers, through free events, materials, and resources.

Local Cancer Resources

Ask your nurse navigator, social worker, or other member of your care team about resources that your cancer center offers patients.
Here are a few external local resources available to lung cancer patients as well.

Cancer Services

Cancer Service’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for those living with cancer and to provide the gift of life through education.

Cancer Services of Eastern NC

Cancer Services of Eastern North Carolina provides resources, support and education for individuals, families and caregivers who are affected by cancer.

Lung Cancer Initiative Patient Access to Care Gas Card Program

Single Fathers Due to Cancer

The Single Fathers Due to Cancer program is dedicated to helping the thousands of fathers who each year lose their spouses to cancer and must adjust to being sole parents. Remarkably, few resources are available for fathers and very little is known about the unique challenges they face and how to best help them through this enormously difficult time.

LiveLung

LiveLung hosts support groups across the United States and virtually for lung cancer survivors, featuring guest speakers like oncologists, nurse navigators, and other cancer experts

Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats, Tryon, North Carolina

The primary mission of Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats & Programs is to teach survivors a variety of ways to deal with the emotional stress of cancer and improve their quality of life.