Bladder Cancer Support Groups

Online Support Community

The bladder cancer online support community is available 24 hours a day. Over 5,500 bladder cancer survivors, caregivers, family members, and many others support each other through the different stages in their journey with bladder cancer.

To participate in the online support community, click on the big orange button above. You will be asked to register but registration is free and you are welcome to provide as little or as much information as you wish. Requiring people who view the site to register gives more privacy to members.

A tip for new users: Once you are registered & signed in, if you ever get lost, just click on “My Groups” at the very top and then click on “Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network Support Community”

Additionally there is a Monthly Virtual Support Group which is open to all being provided by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. If you are interested in participating, contact VirtualGroups@MSKCC.org

In-Person Support Groups

In-Person Bladder Cancer Support Groups are listed by state (Canadian group at the end of the list)

CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles

Bladder Cancer Support Group
The USC Norris Cancer Center
Meets 4th Tuesday of each month at 6:00-7:30 p.m.
USC Norris Lobby Conference Room1441
Eastlake Avenue, Los Angeles
Contact Katrina dela Cruz at 323-442-8301 or Maddy Kerber at madelyn.kerber@health.usc.edu

Rancho Mirage

Bladder Cancer Support Group
4th Thursday of every month from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Eisenhower Lucy Curci Cancer Center
39000 Bob Hope Dr.
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Call 760-834-3798 for Registration & Information
Facilitators:  Barbara Bigelow, RN, ACON & Alison Mayer Sachs, MSW, OSW-C

San Francisco

Bladder Cancer Education and Support Group
University of California San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center
Meets 1st Thursday of each month at 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Mt. Zion Campus
1600 Divisadero, Conference Room H3906, San Francisco
Contact Imelda Tenggara-Hunter at itenggara@urology.ucsf.edu or 415-353-7348

Stanford

Urology Oncology Support Group
This is a combined bladder, kidney and prostate support group
Meets 4th Tuesday of the month
At Stanford Cancer Center, 875 Blake Wilbur Dr, Palo Alto, CA
2nd Floor Conference Rooms CC2103-2104-2105
Parking passes are provided.

The group is led by Melissa Viatori, NP
For more information and to Register to attend call 650-724-8372; Email geoemig@stanford.edu

San Diego/North County

This is a new support group
For more information call Karen Gross at 909-856-1807 or gardenerca@gmail.com

COLORADO

Denver

Bladder Cancer Support Group
Urology Center of Colorado
Meets 4th Tuesday of each month at 12 Noon and 6 p.m.
2777 Mile High Stadium Circle
3rd floor conference room
Denver, CO 80211
Contact: Martha Ruschival RN, BSN at 303-825-8822 or mruschival@TUCC.com

CONNECTICUT

Farmington

Bladder Cancer Support Group
Open to all – this group is not limited to UCONN patients
Meets the first Saturday of each month from 3PM to 4PM
At the Food Court at the rear of the UCONN Health Center
263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030
For more information contact: Pamela Nixon at psnixon@uchc.edu or 860-679-7820

Hartford/Glastonbury

Bladder Cancer Support Group
Meets quarterly beginning June 6th 6:30 to 8:00PM
Hartford Hospital, Tallwood Urology & Kidney Institute, Community Education Room, Ste. C
Gateway Medical Park, #300-300 Western Blvd., Glastonbury (parking is free)
“Understanding Bladder Cancer” – by a physician, a patient and a care giver
To register to attend call 860-545-1888 or 1-800-545-7664
For more information contact Jan Ruderman at 860-817-5300
Open to all – this group is not limited to Hartford Hospital patients

FLORIDA

Estero/Fort Myers

SWFL Bladder Cancer Support Group
Meetings take place each month alternatively Sunday & Wednesday afternoons.
Contact Karen Godfrey at 239-992-4809 or kgod@comcast.net

ILLINOIS

Chicago

Bladder Cancer Networking Group
Gilda’s Club Chicago and BCAN
Meets 4th Wednesday of the month at 6-7:30 p.m.
537 N. Wells Street, Chicago
The group  is facilitated by Sandy Hiehl, RN and Josephine Silvestre, RN
Contact 312-464-9900
http://www.gildasclubchicago.org/

Loyola University Maywood Campus
Meets 2nd Tuesday each month at 7 p.m.
“Great Diversions” is for bladder cancer patients that have had continent diversions (neobladders or catheterizable [Indiana] pouches)
Cardinal Bernadin Cancer Center Auditorium
2160 S. First Avenue, Maywood, IL
Contact Ginger Lewis 708-216-5112 or glewis@lumc.edu

INDIANA

Indianapolis

A monthly networking group – The Wellness Community Indiana and BCAN
The Wellness Community
5150 W. 71st Street
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Facilitator – Jim Bailey, bladder cancer survivor
Contact The Wellness Community at 317-257-1505

MARYLAND

Baltimore

Bladder Cancer Support Group (primarily for pre- and post-op cystectomy patients)
Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Meets every other month on the first Thursday at 1:30pm
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
Contact Joanne Walker at 410-955-5367 or jwalker@jhmi.edu

Bethesda – Washington DC Metro Area

Support group meets 3^rd Thursday each month from 6-8PM
Hope Connections
Beaumont House at FASEB, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814
Contact:  Ben Wokas at info@hopeconnectionsforcancer.org, 301-493-5002

MICHIGAN

Ann Arbor

Bladder Cancer Support Group
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and Dept. of Urology
The sessions are free and no reservation is necessary
2013 Meetings:  Jan 20; Mar 17; May 19; July 14; Sept 15; Nov 17
Meets on Sundays 1:00-2:30 p.m.
University of Michigan Main Hospital, Ann Arbor
Meetings and parking are free, no reservation is necessary
For information contact
Julie Derossett at 734-647-8903 or julderos@med.umich.edu
Michele Vogo at 734-615-6662 or mvigo@umich.edu

Detroit

Detroit Bladder Cancer Network (DBCN)
Meets at either The Henry Ford Health System or Karmanos Cancer Center
Quarterly meetings on the 3rd Thursday of every 3rd month; 4.30pm to 6.30pm
2013  Jan 17 (Ford) April 18 (Karmanos) July 18 (Ford) Free parking at both locations
Meetings are free and pre-registration is requested
For program and location details
Call 313-576-9700 (at Karmanos) or 313-916-8658 (at Ford Cancer Institute)

NEW YORK

Albany

Capitol Region Bladder Cancer Awareness Group
Meets the last Monday of each month at 6.30PM
American Cancer Society Hope Club
1 Penny lane, Latham, NY 12110
For more information contact:
Linda at lindor502@aol.com or 518-858-7499 or
Denise at dimascio02@hotmail.com or 518-878-2936

New York City

Bladder Cancer: Challenges & Solutions: Open to all
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Meets every month on the second Thursday at noon
Contact Richard Glassman, LCSW at 646-422-4658 or glassmar@mskcc.org.
Or contact Vashti Livingston at livingsv@mskcc.org.

Rochester

Meets at The James Wilmot Cancer Center at Strong Memorial Hospital
601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642
The group meets from 5.30pm to 6.30 pm every fourth Wednesday in January, March, May, July, September, October
Facilitator – Jackie Bill, Social Work Dept., The James Wilmot Cancer Center
For more details contact  Jackie at 585-273-2888 or Jacqueline_bill@urmc.rochester.edu

NORTH CAROLINA

Chapel Hill

Triangle Bladder Cancer Support Group
2nd Tuesday of every month
UNC Carolina Point Oncology
6013 Farrington Rd, Suite 201
Chapel Hill, NC  27517
Contact: David Langham 919-943-0589 or trianglebcs@gmail.com
http://trianglebcs.org

Charlotte

Bladder Cancer Support Group
Meets 2nd Tuesday each month: 2.30pm to 4.00pm
Levine Cancer Institute
1021 Morehead Medical Drive, 2nd Floor
Charlotte, NC 28204
Contact Julie Hill at 980-442-2006 or Julie.M.Hill@carolinashealthcare.org

OREGON

Springfield

Bladder Cancer Support Group
3rd Wednesday of every month
Oregon Urology Institute-Radiation Center
1457 G Street
Springfield, OR 97477
Contact: Stephanie Kerns 541-284-5508 or stephanie@oregonurology.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Pittsburgh

Bladder Cancer Support Group
Meetings held the first Wednesday of each month, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
The Hillman Cancer Center
5115 Center Avenue
Cooperman Conference Room A
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Facilitators:  Jeffrey R. Gingrich, MD & Kay Lowmaster, MSW, LCSW
Call 412-605-3015 to register and for more information

TEXAS

Dallas

Bladder Cancer Survivorship Support Group
Open to patients/survivors and their families and loved ones
For information contact Pat Pugsley 972-571-1281
Email: bladdercancerdallas@gmail.com)

Baylor University Medical Center
Bladder-Kidney Cancer Education & Support Group
Meets the 2nd Wednesday each month: Noon to 1.30PM (registration required)
Group Room, Cvetko Patient Education Center, Baylor Sammons Cancer Center
3410 Worth Avenue, Ste. 200, Dallas, TX 75246
For information contact Polly Candela, Program Coordinator, Tel: 214-820-2608 or Email: polly.candela@baylorhealth.edu

Houston

Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor Clinic
6620 Main Street
Houston, TX 77030
Meeting Saturdays from 10:30 am to noon on May 7, July 23, September 10, and November 5
For more information, contact Heather at heather.honore@va.gov

Bladder Cancer Support Team
The University of Texas
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 1373
Houston, TX  77030
Meetings: Bi-monthly
Contact: Thomas J. Touzel (ttouzel@mdanderson.org) or Jane Dinney (jdinney@mdanderson.org), 713-792-6388
www.mdanderson.org/departments/bladdercansup/

VIRGINIA

Reston – Northern Virginia

Bladder Cancer Support Group
For pre- and post-radical cystectomy / neobladder patients
The group meets the 2nd Monday of each month 6:30 to 7:30 pm
The group does not meet during the summer months of June, July, August
The Urology Group
1860 Town Center Drive, Suite 150
Reston, VA 20190
Contact: Rhonda Golman at rgolman@lmgdoctors.com or 703-480-0220

Virginia Beach

Meets the last Thursday of alternate months from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
2013 dates – March 28, May 30, July 25, and Sept 26.
At Urology of Virginia, 225 Clearfield Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA  23462
Meetings include a 30 minute presentation by a physician followed by Q & A’s with time to network; light refreshments provided. Meetings are open to all.
For more information contact Lori Barnhart 757-452-3475 or Email: lbarnhart@urologyofva.net

WISCONSIN

Milwaukee

Bladder Cancer Support Group
4th Wednesday of the Month
6:15 to 7:45 pm
Clinical Conference Room L
(1st floor of the Clinical Cancer Center)
Clinical Cancer Center
Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College Clinical Cancer Center
9200 West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53226
Contact: Heidi Stark, BSN OCN at 414-805-0196

CANADA

Montreal

Bladder Cancer Canada Support Group
Jewish General Hospital Hope & Cope Wellness Centre
4635 Cote Ste. Catherine Road (corner of Lavoie)
Meets 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5:30-7:00 p.m
The group is facilitated by Jaques Spilka who can be reached at 514-573-2462. For more information contact the Wellness Centre at 514-340-3616 or email jspilka@whatsnexx.com