"One of the most important features of a brain tumor support group is the ease with which group members can share their feelings with others. It's incredibly positive for participants to be able to talk with others who are in a similar situation and understand what they are going through."
                                                              - Support Group Facilitator

NBTS maintains a comprehensive list of brain tumor support groups for patients and their families. Over two hundred support groups spread across the United States and Canada are currently listed.

Click here to search for a support group near you.

Support groups can play an important role in helping patients and their families adjust to life after a brain tumor diagnosis. The brain has long been accepted as the center of thought, intelligence, emotion, and movement. A brain tumor is often perceived as an attack on the whole person, an assault on his or her very own identity, making it unique among cancers. Even a nonmalignant brain tumor may cause such debilitation. Brain tumor support groups address all the associated features of this life-threatening illness – problems it may cause with memory, speech, sensation, perception, behavior, personality, and overall health.

Evidence has shown that participating in a support group can greatly benefit patients and families coping with a brain tumor. Brain tumor support groups are an excellent way for brain tumor patients and their families to give and receive support and information throughout treatment and recovery. The dynamic within a brain tumor support group is unlike any other, as the commonality of symptoms and experiences makes the brain tumor journey a bit less daunting.

A group setting offers a ready-made support network and furthers the chances that others will have shared one’s particular experience. In the group, patients and survivors have a chance to tell their stories, from beginning to end, and hear their feelings and experiences validated and supported. Caregivers and family members are also a vital part of this difficult journey, and their presence is important to both the group and the patient. Participants can learn how others cope with symptoms and treatment side effects while gaining needed support from their peers. Peter J. DeBona, a brain tumor survivor, discusses the importance of support groups in his personal account in Where Can I Go to Feel Normal?

If there is no specific brain tumor support group that you can join, attending a general cancer support group can often be helpful. Though brain tumors are different than other types of cancer, finding a supportive group that offers a safe place to discuss feelings and problems can be invaluable. Those with regular Internet access might also consider online support.

Please contact us with any questions at info@braintumor.org.

If you are facilitating a brain tumor support group and would like to list your group's information in our database, please contact us at info@braintumor.org.

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