When you or a family member is coping with mesothelioma resulting from asbestos exposure, you will have lots of questions that change with your situation. The good news is that thanks to the internet, there are a lot of mesothelioma websites out there. But the bad news is that not all the mesothelioma websites out there are good, and you have to be careful because often what looks like a public service non-profit organization is really a law firm trying to disguise who they are while looking for clients.
Always start with your doctor. He or she is your best information source because of their training, experience and knowledge of your condition. After you’ve checked in with your doctor, you might want to find supplemental resources online. Here are five that we find to be accurate and dependable and although all but one are not mesothelioma-specific offer excellent resources for mesothelioma patients and their families:
Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation – Start your research with this award-winning site. Approved by the National Cancer Institute and the Better Business Bureau, this is the only national non-profit organization dedicated to ending mesothelioma by funding research, providing education and support for patients and their families, and by advocating for federal funding of mesothelioma research. Here you can learn, get support and also learn how to get involved in advocacy.
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) Community Page – We specifically like the community page on this advocacy website because it provides a comprehensive listing of asbestos victims’ blogs, Facebook pages, websites and enewsletters.
The National Cancer Institute – This is the cancer branch of our country’s massive National Institutes of Health (NIH), the official health and medical research part of the Department of Health and Human Services. As part of its mission, NCI collects and disseminates the latest information about cancer. Their site’s 685 mesothelioma topics can tell you about the latest clinical trials and the current government-approved drugs for mesothelioma.
Lotsa Helping Hands – Sometimes all you need is dinner. This innovative website utilizes the convenience of the internet to help people in your community set up a group calendar to provide support in the form of meals delivered to your door, rides to medical appointments and visits. It’s a simple wonderful tool that works.
Cancer Support Community – “So that no one faces cancer alone” is the tagline for this nonprofit organization that provides emotional support for those with cancer and their families. It offers a menu of support tools and resources such as free online chat and a toll-free telephone hotline staffed with CSC counselors as well as information on local cancer support groups.
For additional resources, please check out our Mesothelioma Resources page.