Cancer treatment in the Sutter Health network goes beyond fighting cancer cells. We provide supportive services, including financial counseling, psychology and social work specialists, cancer rehabilitation, and much more, to help you navigate the emotional, physical and logistical effects of your diagnosis and treatment. In addition to dozens of complementary therapies and cancer-specific classes throughout the Sutter Health Network, you’ll find help and healing through options including:
- Nurse Navigators — From day one of your cancer diagnosis, a Sutter Health Nurse Navigator can serve as a single point of contact to help you understand your condition, explore and prepare for treatments, maximize the recovery process, evaluate clinical trial opportunities and manage care-related financial issues.
- Survivorship Programs — These sessions can help you get back to doing the things you love, assist you in making healthy lifestyle choices, provide social support, and connect you with educational and community resources to improve and manage your long-term wellness.
- Nutrition Counseling — Get one-on-one coaching from a registered dietitian for education, assessment and care for nutrition-related conditions, such as gastrointestinal distress, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, eating disorders and weight management.
- Support Groups — Connect with like-minded patients and caregivers, including groups for breast and gynecological cancer patients, youth, families and caregivers, Spanish-speaking clients, and more.
- Coping Activities — Many hospitals across the Sutter Health network offer music, art and pet therapy services. Children’s Art Therapy Support groups, known as CATS, help children and teens learn to cope with and accept a loved one’s cancer diagnosis (or their own). Healing Images, a free art therapy support group, helps adults with cancer. Specially certified therapy animals also make hospital visits to help decrease stress and relieve anxiety.
- Pain Relief — Depending on your type of cancer and treatment, you can consult with physical or speech therapists and others to help you manage pain and discomfort, boost your immune system and recover form and function.
- Integrative Cancer Support — Holistic therapies can help reduce pain, boost immune responses and ease side effects.
- Lymphedema Program — Cancer treatments may cause lymph fluid buildup and swelling, known as lymphedema. Along with receiving specialized massage, you’ll learn how to independently monitor and manage lymphedema through thorough training in self-massage, compression, exercise and skin care.
- Physical Therapy — Exercise—even a small amount—can help you rebuild function, endurance and strength while decreasing anxiety and increasing a sense of hope and control. Your cancer care physical therapist can help maximize strength and mobility during and after cancer treatment.
