The responsibility rests with patients to contact CANSA for assistance. Read more...

I have Cancer

Whether you have recently been diagnosed with cancer or whether you are a veteran who has undergone the rigours of treatment, or if you are now in remission, CANSA considers you a cancer Survivor.

We want you to know that you are not alone and that we would like to support you and your loved ones. As you face your cancer diagnosis, learn to live with and through this disease and even beyond it, we would like to inspire hope and courage in you and empower you with the information you need to take control of your life.

Helping You Deal with Your Cancer Diagnosis:

What is Cancer Booklet

CANSA KZN and the KZN Department of Health collaborated to produce the “What Is Cancer Booklet” a basic guide about cancer and oncology: English | Zulu

CancerCare Coping Kit

A cancer diagnosis is very stressful. You have so many questions and it may feel as if your world has turned upside down.  Help is at hand with our CancerCare Coping Kit Audio-Programme.

We developed this audio-programme ENG Coping Kit SLIM CD PRINT.cdralong with fellow cancer Survivors to help empower you to deal with cancer, by providing knowledge and understanding.

Through this audio-programme, we hope to equip you with practical tools for use in your daily life and to provide your family members & caregivers with information and knowledge, to make this journey easier.

You will learn more about the following:

  • What is cancer, its treatment & side effects?
  • Emotional reactions to a cancer diagnosis & the importance of communication
  • Cancer & nutrition
  • Celebrating life & living positively with cancer

iSurvivor Programme

We’d like to introduce you to Aunt Sophia. She has a wealth of information & practical tips to share with you.

Sign up for our iSurvivor email-based support programme and she’ll send you weekly emails to inspire & encourage you – no charge – she’s a cancer Survivor herself, so she knows what  a rollercoaster ride this cancer journey can be!

If you are a metastatic breast cancer patient you can sign up for our iSurvivor Metastatic Breast Cancer email-based support programme, and benefit from the wisdom of other MBC patients.

CANSA at Home Pain Guide

CANSA at Home Pain Guide

Online Support Resources

You can also join our Facebook Group: CANSA Survivors – Champions of Hope where you can meet other cancer Survivors – the members of this group will help support you & you in turn may inspire them! We also have a group for Caregivers. Ask your Caregiver to join our Facebook Group: CANSA Caring for the Caregivers.

Find more online support resources / groups here…

Helping You Cope with Side Effects of Treatment:

Read more about the our care & support services that we can offer you & your loved ones at our CANSA Care Centres and CANSA Care Homes. This includes counselling; support groups; stoma, wigs; medical equipment hire; breast prostheses and specialised bras; community home based care; palliative in-patient facilities and cancer screening services for annual check-ups or if there is a concern.

CANSA Tele Counselling can be accessed via the CANSA Help Desk on 0800 22 66 22 toll free, to make an appointment with a CANSA counsellor. Or send an email to the Help Desk via counselling@cansa.org.za – this is a confidential, professional, cancer-related telephonic counselling service to cancer patients, caregivers and their families and parents or guardians of children living with cancer. Counselling is available in seven languages (English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, siSwati, Sesotho and Setswana) and is free of charge.

CANSA is committed to connecting people facing cancer with information, day-to-day help as well as emotional support they need in the communities where they live. Our aim is to ensure that cancer Survivors and their loved ones don’t have to face cancer alone; we’re here to support them through every step of their cancer journey.*

* The responsibility rests with patients to contact CANSA for assistance. CANSA is not informed of any diagnoses / of patients being treated at medical centres. Family need to obtain permission from patients, before CANSA may contact them. Read more…

Share Your Story of Hope

You have the power to encourage and inspire a fellow cancer patient by sharing your cancer journey – share your story of Hope…

Cape Argus Facebook Live – Get Educated About Breast Cancer – 27 October 2022

Watch video recording – Dr Francois Malherbe, Head of Breast and Surgical Endocrine Unit Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town, and Lucy Balona (CANSA) discussed breast cancer on Facebook…

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Published: 25 October 2022
Updated: 22 December 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, CANSA Webinars, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Women's Health

CANSA Men Supporting Men Cancer Support group – 8 October 2022

Virtual CANSA Men Supporting Men Cancer Support group – 8 October 2022 with Shaheed Mahomed.

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Published: 6 October 2022
Updated: 10 October 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Men's Health

Seminar: Unpacking the Implications of Constitutional Guarantees on the Right to Health for Cancer Patients

CANSA / Cancer Alliance invites you to a seminar on 6 October 2022 “Unpacking the Implications of Constitutional Guarantees on the Right to Health for Cancer Patients”…

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Published: 25 September 2022
Updated: 7 October 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, Advocacy, CANSA Webinars, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer

CANSA Men Supporting Men Cancer Support group – 27 August 2022

CANSA Men Supporting Men Cancer Support group – 27 August 2022. Our speaker will be Michael Meredith (neuroendocrine lung cancer Survivor, trained counsellor and end of life doula…

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Published: 25 August 2022
Updated: 29 August 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Men's Health

Men Supporting Men Support Group with Xylon van Eyck – 23 July 2022

CANSA invites male cancer patients and survivors to join our next support group meeting via Zoom.  We are excited that our speaker will be Xylon van Eyck, cancer survivor and Ironman athlete, sharing his journey and how he overcomes challenges…

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Published: 21 July 2022
Updated: 28 July 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, CANSA Webinars, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Men's Health

Support is At the End of a Telephone Call

CANSA is committed to protecting the rights of cancer patients and caregivers, having established a free Tele Counselling service (available in seven languages), two years ago in commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day (18 July).  CANSA recognises commitment to human rights and that all affected by cancer are entitled to psycho-social support…

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Published: 15 July 2022
Updated: 1 September 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, CANSA Eastern Cape, CANSA Free State, CANSA Gauteng, CANSA KwaZulu-Natal, CANSA Limpopo, CANSA Mpumalanga, CANSA North West, CANSA Northern Cape, CANSA Western Cape, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Media Releases & News

CANSA Men Supporting Men Cancer Support group – 25 June 2022

Join the CANSA Men Supporting Men Cancer Support group on 25 June 2022 from 9 00 to 10 00…

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Published: 24 June 2022
Updated: 27 June 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Men's Health

CANSA Pain Manager App for better Quality of Life

As part of International Cancer Survivors’ Day, CANSA launches a free CANSA Pain Manager app, in association with the Centre of Community Technology at Nelson Mandela University (CCT), sponsored by Pfizer. It’s in the format of a diary or calendar allowing the patient / caregiver to input relevant information such as logging pain experienced daily and allows input reminders of medication schedule / dosage and appointments.

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Published: 1 June 2022
Updated: 1 September 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, Beyond Diagnosis & Treatment, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Media Releases & News, Men's Health, Women's Health

Cancer Webinar with Bounti – Reduce Your Cancer Risk

Recording available: #CANSASmartChoice partner bounti (a Discovery Vitality partner) and Lisa Raleigh hosted webinar focused living a cancer preventative lifestyle, coping during the cancer journey and supporting those in remission…

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Published: 25 May 2022
Updated: 7 June 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, Beyond Diagnosis & Treatment, CANSA Webinars, I have Cancer

CANSA Men Supporting Men Cancer Support group – 28 May 2022

Join the CANSA Men Supporting Men Cancer Support group on 28 May 2022 | 09:00-10:00

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Published: 23 May 2022
Updated: 24 June 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, CANSA Webinars, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Men's Health

Palliative Care for Cancer Patients – What We Should Know

Any patient can request palliative care! It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided alongside potentially curative treatment…

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Published: 2 May 2022
Updated: 16 August 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, Advocacy, Beyond Diagnosis & Treatment, CANSA's Tough Living with Cancer (TLC) Programme, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Men's Health, Women's Health

CANSA Collaborates with Alignd to Increase Access to Palliative Care

CANSA has partnered with Alignd, a value-based care and patient-centric organisation working with medical schemes to improve access to and cover for palliative care from diagnosis of serious cancer…

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Published: 2 May 2022
Updated: 6 May 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, Advocacy, Beyond Diagnosis & Treatment, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Men's Health, Women's Health

Men Supporting Men Support Group for Cancer Patients – 19 March 2022

Male cancer patients finally have the opportunity to meet each other and share in a safe space. Male cancer patients are invited to join the next support group meeting via Zoom: Saturday, 19 March 2022…

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Published: 17 March 2022
Updated: 22 March 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, CANSA Webinars, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Men's Health

CANSA – Guardian of Cancer Patients’ Human Rights 

On 21 March, Human Rights’ Day is celebrated coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, that enshrines the rights of all people in South Africa and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) upholds and helps protect the human rights of cancer patients, by speaking on behalf of patients through its Advocacy and Service departments and facilitating improved access to medication, treatment and palliative care…

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Published: 16 March 2022
Updated: 19 May 2022
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, About CANSA, Advocacy, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Media Releases & News

CANSA Closing the Gap in Cancer Care

2022 – This World Cancer Day (4 February), CANSA and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) are calling on everyone to use their influence to help ‘close the gap in cancer care’. The new three-year campaign calls for action to address the issue of unfair access to cancer services. The campaign aims to promote greater equity in health care provision for all people affected by cancer, no matter who they are or where they live…

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Published: 3 February 2022
Updated: 23 January 2023
Categories: I have Cancer, Media Releases & News, Men's Health, Women's Health, World Cancer Day - 4 Feb

Webinar – World Cancer Day Patient and Caregiver Forum (3 February 2022)

Cancer is a debilitating disease and can place an enormous physical, emotional, social, and financial burden on the people providing long-term, continuous care for affected patients. Join us for our third online webinar, in recognition of World Cancer Day in February. Brought to you by Novartis, Rare Diseases South Africa (RDSA), in association with CANSA, The Breast Health Foundation and Meta Buddies, would like to invite all caregivers, patients and those advocating to bridge the gap for patient care to join us as we discuss these challenges…

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Published: 23 January 2022
Updated: 23 January 2023
Categories: CANSA Webinars, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer

Launch – Men Supporting Men Support Group for Cancer Patients

Male cancer patients finally have the opportunity to meet each other and share in a safe space. Male cancer patients are invited to join the first support group meeting via Zoom on Saturday, 27 November 2021 at 9:00 to 10:30….

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Published: 26 November 2021
Updated: 6 December 2021
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, CANSA Webinars, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Men's Health

Zoom Panel Discussion – Let’s Get Real about Men and Prostate Cancer

CANSA hosted a Zoom panel discussion on 18 November 2021 ‘Let’s Get Real about Men and Prostate Cancer’…

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Published: 17 November 2021
Updated: 24 November 2021
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, CANSA Webinars, I have Cancer, Men's Health, Types of cancer

Webinar – Talking Lung Cancer 11 November 2021

A round table discussion via Zoom took place on Thursday, 11 November 2021, featuring a cancer patient; Dr Poovan Govender, Oncologist, and a palliative care nurse, Zodwa Sithole (CANSA Head of Advocacy), and caregiver, Christa Matthee – recording now available…

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Published: 9 November 2021
Updated: 16 November 2021
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, CANSA Webinars, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, No-Tobacco Campaign, Types of cancer

National Virtual CANSA Netcare Support Group – 23 October 2021

View Support Group Session held on Saturday, 23 Oct 2021 from 10:00 – 11:30. Topic: Management and Care after a Mastectomy….

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Published: 20 October 2021
Updated: 28 October 2021
Categories: A Loved One has Cancer, CANSA Webinars, Caregiving and Cancer, I have Cancer, Women's Health

The Bright Side Film – and Zoom Discussion for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the moving Irish film The Bright Side, about a stand-up comedian diagnosed with breast cancer, will be screened online and free at the European Film Festival from 14 to 24 October 2021. In partnership with CANSA, the festival will also host a free online discussion event on 19 October 2021…

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Published: 18 October 2021
Updated: 20 October 2021
Categories: CANSA Webinars, I have Cancer, Women's Health

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