Summary of the two-year activity of Cancer Helpline in Pomerania

This article is a summary of two-year activity of Cancer Helpline in Pomerania. The helpline was created on the initiative of the Polish Psycho-oncological Association and has its department in the Regional Cancer Centre in Gdansk. Helpline co-workers are volunteers, the coordinator of the team, consultants specialists – oncologist, two psycho-oncologists, a lawyer, a representative of the Gdansk Amazons and a psychologist working with children suffering with cancer.

By calling the toll-free telephone number 800 08 01 64 you can get information about cancer, its prevention, diagnostic tests, various forms of therapy, psychological and psycho-oncological support and also about patients’ organizations. Within two years, volunteers have answered nearly a thousand phone calls. About one third concerned the psychological problems such as anxiety, coping with the disease, family and marriage problems. Callers often search information about cancer, treatment and its side effects, as well as specialist clinics and diagnostic tests. In over 60% of cases the patient called personally and wanted to talk about his own problems. Also children and spouses of the patients often needed our support.