Multiple resources exist to support teenagers with cancer. They come in the form of books, articles, videos, websites, support groups and more.
Here is a list of online resources you may find useful. You can also find different resources by doing a little research, asking your health-care team, or talking with friends and family.
Information
American Cancer Society (from the United States)
CLIC Sargent (from the United Kingdom)
CureSearch (from the United States)
Macmillan Cancer Support (from the United Kingdom)
13Thirty (from the United States)
Connect
Cancer Fight Club (for young adults)
Stupid Cancer (for older teens)
Camps
Camps for kids and teens with cancer exist all across the country. Visit the following websites to find one in your area.
Active lifestyle
Canada’s Physical Activity Tips for Youth
ParticipACTION - For great tips on how to get your body moving!
Body image
Look Good Feel Better - Tips for dealing with the effects of cancer
Clinical trials
Children and Clinical Trials (from the American National Institutes of Health)
Fertility
Medications – access and info about paying for medications
Provincial and Territorial Public Drug Benefit Programs
Mood
AboutKidsHealth - Mental Health Learning Hub for Teens
Mood Disorders Association of Ontario - Frequently asked questions about teen depression
Teens Dealing with Depression - Anti-depressant skills for teens
Sexuality
Surviving cancer
The National Children's Cancer Soceity - Survivorship
Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Practical Guide to Your Future (book)
Children’s Oncology Group - Survivorship Guidelines
Helpful tips for assessing the quality of information on the internet
When you are looking for information, the internet may be one of the first places you turn to. The internet is the top source of information for teenagers and many adults.
There are many websites about cancer, however, the quality of information on these sites varies greatly. It is important that you talk to your doctor to help you understand the information you find on these sites. Here are some tips to help you determine if the site is of good quality. Remember SCREEN!
| S = Source | Is the sponsor of the site credible? Check out their credentials. One way to do this, though it’s not 100% accurate, is by looking at the domain. Is the site: government (.gov), educational (.edu), or nonprofit organizations (.org)? Is the site current? What is the last date it was updated? |
| C = Conflict of interest or bias | Is the site selling or promoting a product or service? |
| R = editorial Review process | Is there an editorial process or seal of approval? |
| E = Evidence-based | Are the claims based on scientific research and is there documentation? |
| E = Extreme claims | Does the site claim "miracles", "amazing results", or "earthshaking breakthroughs"? Any claim that a treatment works for dozens of different problems, or has a 95% or 99% improvement rate, is likely to be misleading and driven by profit. |
| N = Not related | Is the information unrelated to or different from what you were told by your health-care provider? |