Support Groups and Healthy Living
Many cancer survivors find a renewed interest in living a healthy life. Fortunately, there are many resources that can help you to do that.
Support groups
The Wilmot Cancer Center hosts many support groups for survivors of various types of cancer. We can also help you to find other support groups that are available throughout the area. Please refer to Wilmot's support groups page for specific information about meeting locations and relevant phone numbers.
Physical Fitness and Exercise
Regular physical activity can help cancer survivors in many ways, such as reducing fatigue, managing stress, losing weight and improving sleep quality.
ReNEW is a cancer wellness and rehabilitation program at the Wilmot Cancer Institute. It helps improve wellness throughout your whole cancer experience, but provides a special emphasis on post-treatment recovery.
Our fitness professionals are certified by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). They will assess your current health and help you develop a plan based on your goals and needs.
Learn more about the ReNew Program for cancer survivors.
Wilmot's Pluta Integrative Oncology & Wellness Center program also offers yoga and qi gong classes.
Nutrition
Eating well can help you to recover from cancer and your cancer treatment. Good nutrition can also reduce the risk for certain diseases, while helping you to feel better and maintain a healthy weight.
Wilmot has a number of resources available on diet and nutrition, including consultations with our specially trained oncology dietitians, monthly cooking classes and quarterly cooking demonstrations.
For helpful information online, refer to the web site of the The American Institute for Cancer Research, an organization focused on diet and lifestyle as it pertains to cancer: www.aicr.org. Or visit www.oncologynutritiondpg.org/.
Tobacco Cessation
Having a tobacco habit is one of the biggest risk factors for many cancers. Still, beating a tobacco habit can be a major challenge.
If you would like to quit smoking or chewing tobacco, there are many resources available that can help:
- Wilmot Cancer Institute offers a Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program to help patients and their families quit tobacco.
- Wilmot Cancer Institute's Community Outreach & Engagement Office offers a free, remote smoking cessation program for anyone over 18 living in the 27-county region around Rochester. The program is text message based and includes free nicotine replacement therapy. To learn more or sign up, call call (585) 504-9461 or email quitcenter@urmc.rochester.edu.
- The University of Rochester Medical Center’s Center for Community Health & Prevention offers programs to help individuals quit smoking. To learn more visit their Stop Smoking page or call (585) 602-0720.
- Smokefree.gov provides free, accurate, evidence-based information and professional assistance to help support the immediate and long-term needs of people trying to quit smoking.
- The New York State Smokers’ Quitline is a free and confidential service that provides effective stop-smoking services to New Yorkers who want to stop smoking.
Integrative Oncology
Integrative oncology incorporates individual therapies such as massage and group programs such as yoga and meditation. Research shows that when these modalities are used alongside traditional cancer care, they can help ease cancer-related symptoms, improve quality of life and lower anxiety associated with treatment. We encourage our patients and their caregivers to take advantage of our integrative oncology resources, as well as others in the community. Be sure to speak with your oncologist before beginning any new activity.
Spirituality
- The Chaplaincy services at the Wilmot Cancer Center provide compassionate spiritual and emotional support to patients and families of all faiths. To contact a chaplain, call (585) 275-2187 or ask your oncology care team to help you in contacting them.
- The Chapel is located on the first floor of Strong Memorial Hospital at the end of the South corridor. Follow the overhead orange tags. At the end of that hall there are signs directing you to the Interfaith Chapel.
Meditation
- The Pluta Integrative Oncology & Wellness Center offers virtual and in-person meditation classes that are free for Wilmot patients.
- Wilmot Cancer Center has a Meditation Room located on the first floor next to the Patient & Family Resource Room.
Further information on meditation is available from these resources:
- www.wildmind.org
- Rochester Zen Center
- Healing with Awareness
- White Lotus Buddhist Center
- Amitabha Foundation
Massage
Table massages are available to patients in active treatment through Wilmot Cancer Institute's Pluta Integrative Oncology and Wellness Center. A referral from the patient's provider is required. To schedule a massage, call the Integrative Oncology and Wellness Center at (585) 486-0630.