Supportive Care
Our expert care team helps patients maintain a better quality of life from diagnosis through cancer treatment.As a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Colorado Cancer Center has an extensive team of experts ready to provide our patients with the most complete care available to fight and conquer cancer. In addition to groundbreaking clinical trials and advanced treatments and technologies, the CU Cancer Center offers resources to help patients and caregivers navigate challenges that arise throughout the cancer journey.
What is Supportive Oncology?
The University of Colorado Cancer Center, through our clinical partners at UCHealth, offers support for all oncology patients and their caregivers. Supportive oncology is care provided in addition to direct medical treatment to enhance quality of life for patients throughout their cancer journey. The goal of supportive oncology is to reduce the side effects caused by cancer treatment as well as address physical, psychological, social and spiritual challenges related to cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Patient Resources
UCHealth Cancer Support
UCHealth offers supportive oncology programs and services to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, their families and their caregivers. Supportive oncology services are offered in locations throughout the region.
Counseling Services
The University of Colorado Cancer Center, through our clinical partners at UCHealth, have oncology-trained psychologists and Licensed Clinical Social Workers who can help cancer patients, caregivers, and families adjust to a cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Cancer Survivorship
The University of Colorado Cancer Center provides survivorship care plans (SCP) for its patients. A SCP is a document that summarizes a patient’s diagnosis, treatment, and reasons to contact their health care teams.
Cooking Classes
The University of Colorado Cancer Center offers cancer-focused cooking and nutrition classes through the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center to provide cancer patients with individualized nutrition consults, assessments and nutrition recommendations tailored to offset cancer side effects throughout treatment.
Women's Cancer Development Therapeutics Program
The Women's Cancer Developmental Therapeutics Program seeks to increase the development of novel cancer therapies in Gynecologic and Breast cancers, leading to a decrease in cancer-related morbidity and mortality for patients.
BfitBwell Cancer Exercise Program
BfitBwell is a 3-month long individualized exercise program for individuals diagnosed with cancer who are currently going through treatment at the CU Cancer Center or no more than post 6 months treatment.
Support groups sponsored by the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement
.jpg?sfvrsn=a60914bb_2 "Support Group 2 (600 x 400)")
Stronger Together
Every Saturday, alternating in-person and virtual sessions
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The CU Cancer Center is partnering with the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance and Therapist of Color Collaborative to sponsor Stronger Together, a free support group dedicated to supporting cancer patients, cancer survivors, and co-survivors throughout diagnosis, treatment, and the journey to survivorship.
The group meets every Saturday, alternating between virtual meetings via Zoom and in-person meetings at New Hope Baptist Church. This group is not affiliated with any religion. The focus is on providing comfort and strength during your cancer journey.
See details and registration link below.
.jpg?sfvrsn=ba0814bb_2 "Spanish-speaking support group (600 x 400)")
Grupo de apoyo en español
El CU Centro de cáncer se ha asociado con el Colorado Cancer Coalition Latino Task Force y Ray of Hope Cancer Foundation para promover un grupo de apoyo gratis en Español para pacientes con cancer y sus familias. Grupo se reúne el último lunes de cada mes las 530 p.m. por Zoom.
(The CU Cancer Center is partnering with the Colorado Cancer Coalition Latino Task Force and Ray of Hope Cancer Foundation to sponsor a free support group for Spanish-speaking cancer patients and their families. The group meets the last Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom.)
Flyer for Spanish-speaking cancer support group (English version)
Additional Support Groups in the Community
The Colorado Cancer Coalition maintains a list of cancer support groups in the larger Denver community, with meeting times and contact information. To view this list, click the button below.
Resources for Caregivers
Who is a Cancer Caregiver?
A caregiver for someone with cancer is defined as an unpaid spouse, partner, family member or friend who gives the person with cancer emotional and physical care. Most often, they are not trained for the caregiver job. Caregivers have many roles that can change as the patient’s needs change during and after cancer treatment.
Caregiver Resources
Oncology-trained social workers provide services to cancer patients, caregivers, and families to help with coping and reducing cancer-related stress. Social workers provide emotional support, help address concerns of patients and of family members, offer resources and referrals, and can help plan for the future.
For more information/appointments: 720-848-9266
Support groups are a safe place for patients, caregivers, and families to share feelings and challenges and learn from others facing similar obstacles. Joining a cancer support group can have powerful benefits on the success of treatment and recovery.
All of our support groups are no-cost events offered as virtual meetings within the Denver Metro area for cancer patients, caregivers, families, and friends.
For more information: 720-848-9266
Caregiver Support Group
Our caregiver support group is a safe place for cancer caregivers to discuss effects of caregiving on emotional, social, financial, physical, and spiritual well-being.
This group allows caregivers to interact with other caregivers.
2nd Thursday of Month: 4-5:30 PM
4th Thursday of Month: 4 - 5:30 PM
Palliative care is the preventing or treatment of symptoms and side effects caused by a disease, such as emotional, social, psychological, spiritual, or financial challenges. Palliative care can improve quality of life for cancer patients by helping to ease challenges from a cancer diagnosis throughout treatment.
For more information/appointments: 720-848-9264
Spiritual care professionals help relieve symptoms and side effects of a cancer diagnosis by providing spiritual support. Spiritual caregivers can help answer questions a cancer patient or their loved ones may have throughout treatment.
Spiritual support can be provided at any time during treatment. This includes right after diagnosis or during and after treatment.
For more information: Discuss with your provider.
AARP American Association of Retired Persons
Self-care. A number of helpful resources on the role of caregivers.
Emotional support. Provides a number of perspectives on the difficulty of the caregiving experience; online forums available.
Coordination of Care. Provides resources to creating an independent living environment for loved ones.
American Cancer Society Resources
A cancer diagnosis affects close friends and family too. Find out what to expect if you become a caregiver for a person with cancer, and get tips for making sure that you take care of yourself as well.
"What should I send or buy for a loved on going through cancer?"
The products listed on this site have been recommended by those on their own cancer journeys.
Self-care. Extensive resource for how caregiving can change one’s life and tips/tools for juggling the coordination of loved one’s medical care.
Coordination of care. Resource list/guide for family caregivers; primarily focused on care for the elderly
Coordination of care. A helpful website for organizing medical updates. This site may organize information, as caregivers may often be placed in a position of “translating” for the rest of the family or providing regular updates.
Coordination of care. Tailored specifically for caregivers who provide care from a different location than where their loved one resides.
Emotional support. Various methods for caregivers to engage with other caregivers for additional support (online groups, links to in- person support groups and modules embedded in the website to support caregivers).
Coordination of care. An online forum that can recruit help for caregivers in need.
National Alliance for Caregiving
Self-care. Links to a number of resources and articles relevant to caregiving and the importance of self-care!
Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support Services
Coordination of care and self-care. A number of online resources, handouts and other resources specific to caregiving; often specific to a Veteran population.