Support groups held by the UCSF Ida and Joseph Friend Cancer Resource Center are free and available to all patients, whether or not you get your health care at UCSF.
The general cancer group is a free, ongoing, weekly group open to patients with cancer of all stages and types. Please call for more information and to register.
Location: Cancer Resource Center, 1600 Divisadero St., First Floor
Meetings: Wednesdays from 5:20 to 6:50 p.m.
Contact: Patty Moran (415) 353-9745 or moranp@ocim.ucsf.edu
A group for patients with bladder cancer, their caregivers and family members share their experiences and stories, educate, advocate and support each other.
Location: UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1600 Divisadero St.
Meetings: First Thursday of the month from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Contact: Social worker Sarah Hong (415) 353-7632
A group for patients, family members and caregivers to share their experiences and concerns, and to learn from each other.
Location: Please call for location
Meetings: First Wednesday of the month from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Contact: Neuro-oncology nurses Mary Lovely (415) 990-4461 and Margaretta Page (415) 353-7500
People living with various types of colorectal cancer meet to share their experiences, concerns and questions with one another.
Location: Please call for location
Meetings: Second and fourth Wednesday of the month, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Vittorio Comelli (415) 637-2895, vittorio.comelli@ucsf.edu.
A group for men whose wives or partners are dealing with cancer. The group explores positive ways of dealing with cancer, provides mutual emotional support and shares information about treatments, side effects, complementary therapies, financial and insurance issues.
Location: Cancer Resource Center, 1600 Divisadero St., First Floor
Meetings: On the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Contact: Jim Murdoch (415) 885-7225
This is an informal educational and support group for hematology and bone marrow transplant patients who are in the hospital. Family members are welcome to attend. Topics include adjusting to a diagnosis of cancer, navigating the health care system, preparing for hospital discharge, complementary and alternative therapies, caregiver support and bone marrow and stem cell transplant.
Location: Long Solarium, 11th Floor, 505 Parnassus Ave.
Meetings: Wednesday, 1 to 2 p.m.
Contact: Social workers Nina Balsamo and Alice Cabotaje (415) 353-1304
A support group for patients and their families to share their thoughts and feelings with others living with cancer.
Location: UCSF Medical Center (registration required)
Meetings: Second Tuesday of the month from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Social workers Tiffany Raffino and Sarah Rapp (415) 353-2965
Discussions for patients, family members and caretakers are held about meningioma, a type of brain tumor. Discussions are led by Dr. Michael McDermott, a UCSF neurosurgeon and specialist in meningioma treatment.
Location: To be announced
Meetings: Quarterly
Contact: Jennifer Viner, nurse practitioner (415) 353-2361 or email
This is a group for gay men and their significant others. It is open to UCSF patients and to the community. It's a place for men and their partners exchange information, provide support to one another and improve symptom management.
Location: UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1600 Divisadero St.
Meetings: First and third Wednesday of the month, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Contact: Vittorio Comelli (415) 637-2895, vittorio.comelli@ucsf.edu
This support group is a place for people in their 20s and 30s to come together to share their stories, insights and offer support to each other. The group is open to people with all types of cancer at all stages of disease and treatment, including people who are post-treatment, but are looking for a cancer support community.
Location: Cancer Resource Center, 1600 Divisadero St., First Floor
Meetings: The first and third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
Contact: Keren Stronach (510) 540-5147
The Peer Support Program offers cancer patients the opportunity to speak with cancer survivors or veteran patients who have "been there." This is a free, on-the-phone servicee. All cancer patients are welcome regardless of where their care is provided. Patients are matched with peer support volunteers according to criteria such as diagnosis, stage, age, gender or by preference of the person seeking support.
For breast and prostate cancer patients, see Online Peer Support, where patients can submit a question online and connect with a volunteer.
