What Makes Us Different

The foundational program upon which the Supportive Care and Survivorship Center has been built is the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program. Founded in 1987 by Rachel Schanberg, the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program was one of the first formalized psychosocial support programs in the nation to offer counseling services, volunteer-based peer support, and self-image resources.

You Are Not Alone
In 2002, under the new leadership of Dr. Cheyenne Corbett, the Cancer Patient Support Program continued to work toward identifying the needs of patients and their loved ones facing cancer.  With the motto ‘You Are Not Alone’ and the generous support of donors, the Program implemented new services to address identified gaps in care, adding comprehensive resources to support families throughout cancer.

Such innovations in care include the addition of child life services and the development of KidsCan! to educate and support families with a parent diagnosed with cancer The Program also added medical family therapy with a team of licensed family therapists. They support those facing the impact of cancer on their lives. Self-image services continued to expand, and now provide services with shops at three Duke Cancer Center locations. Each location is staffed by self-image consultants who provide personalized education and recommendations to address physical changes experienced through cancer treatment. Additionally, certified fitters are onsite for prosthetics, orthotics, and compression garments.

From recreation therapy to pet therapy, and an ever-growing listing of support groups, the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program continues to flourish and offer no-cost services, so every person who enters our doors has access to comprehensive care.

A Time of Growth

In the early 2000s, we started screening patients for cancer-related distress so we could more appropriately identify concerns and connect these people to services to meet their practical, social, spiritual, and emotional needs.

By 2012, distress screening was implemented in every Duke Cancer Institute clinic as our team continued to identify patients experiencing distress and connect them to services. This was three years before the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer set psychosocial distress screening as a new patient care standard.

Expanded Services
Through analysis of the screenings and through patient feedback, we expanded our service line to meet these voiced needs.

• We established a Teen and Young Adult Oncology Program and an Onco-Fertility Program to address the unique needs faced by teens and young adults with cancer.
• We expanded our Patient Navigation Program team to ensure patients have timely care and access to specialized resources to address barriers.
• We launched the Smoking Cessation Program, a biobehavioral approach to help individuals quit using tobacco products.
• The team implemented a Sexual Health and Intimacy Program with a team of medical family therapists and a sex therapist who are experts in addressing physical, emotional, and relational changes that can result from cancer treatment. The program also recommends sexual health products available at our Cancer Center location shops.
• Our Clinical Cancer Genetics Program grew as genetic testing technology improved. We see patients diagnosed with cancer, as well as people who may be at risk of developing cancer, to provide education on risk, implications for treatment decisions, and family testing. Our genetic counselors, who offer their services at no cost, work closely with oncologists trained to diagnose and treat hereditary cancers (comprising five to 10 percent of all cancers).

Cancer Survivorship

With advances in cancer therapies, we are seeing a growing number of survivors. Cancer survivors have unique needs related to late- and long-term side effects that result from care. In the early 2000s, we established our first survivorship clinics.

Under the leadership of Dr. Kevin Oeffinger, these Survivorship services now offer a team of physicians and advanced practice providers who work directly with patients, their oncologists, and primary care teams to form the best plan to help them live a fuller life after treatment. Our model for survivorship also includes intentional collaboration between these team members throughout cancer treatment, to help prevent or mitigate longer-term impacts from treatment, as well as to manage co-morbidities during treatment.

We also established one of the first Cardio-Oncology programs to care for those with heart disease or risk factors before they start cancer treatment, as well as those who develop heart-related side effects during or after cancer treatment.

Make a Gift

The Duke Cancer Patient Support Program provides support services to help patients and their loved ones cope with the impact of cancer on their lives. 

Make a gift online or call 919-385-3120 to make a gift by phone.

Garden Tribute

Since 2003, the Seese-Thornton Garden of Tranquility has provided an outdoor space adjacent to the Duke Cancer Center for meditative thought and reflection. Guests can take a moment of respite as they sit on one of more than a dozen benches, observing words engraved along the Walk of Honor, like “loved,” “supported” and “hopeful.” The open space also features a variety of trees and seasonal flowers that surround you in beauty. Nestled in the center of the garden is the Tree of Hope which symbolizes the strength and hope felt by those coping with cancer.

Tribute Bricks

A commemorative brick creates a lasting tribute to a loved one. Bricks are placed throughout the Seese-Thornton Garden of Tranquility along the Rachel Schanberg Walk of Honor. Each brick is $600 and can be inscribed with up to three lines of text. Engraved bricks are installed in the fall and spring. Bricks are 4” x 8” in size and Caribbean red in color.

A Living Tribute

A living tree is a beautiful way to remember or honor someone who has made an impact on your life. Trees are planted throughout the Seese-Thornton Garden of Tranquility and are available in different types. Canopy and understory trees range from $5,000 to $10,0000. A garden stake plate can be inscribed with up to four lines of text (20 characters per line, including spaces). Stake plates are black with bronze writing. To purchase a Tribute Brick or a Living Tribute, call the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program at 919.684.4497 or email at cancersupport@duke.edu.

Host an Event

Every year, the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program and people who've been impacted by cancer host different types of events to increase awareness and support for the  Program.

Doctors, patients, and community members get together with families and friends to run a race, host a wine and cheese party or play a round of golf, all while sponsoring and supporting the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program. We encourage you to host your event or find the one that is most meaningful to you.

Create a personal fundraising page to showcase and promote your efforts. Then encourage your friends and colleagues to join with you in your quest to move research forward. In partnering together, dreams become reality. For questions regarding fundraising opportunities with Duke Cancer Patient Support Program, please email cancersupport@duke.edu or call 919-684-4497.