Community Corner

Breast Cancer Support Groups in Milwaukee County

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here's a list of local breast cancer support groups.

One in 8 American women and 1 in 1,000 American men will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. It’s estimated that more than 2 million people are diagnosed with breast cancer and fight for their lives each year.

Breast cancer is difficult to face alone—for both patients and their loved ones. To help in the battle, there are a number of local resources and support groups.

  • Women with Breast Cancer (a Columbia St. Mary's group) meets the second and fourth Monday of every month from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Vandyke Haebler Center, 2025 E. Newport Ave., Milwaukee. Call (414) 961-4552 for more information.
  • Breast Cancer Support Group for African-American Women (Froedtert Hospital). For information on dates and times of meetings call (414) 219-6358.
  • After Breast Cancer for Seniors (Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare). Meets from 1-2:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday of every month at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, 201 N. Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa. Call (414) 447-2303 for more information.
  • ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis provides free, personalized information and one-on-one support to people affected by breast cancer. ABCD trains people who have had breast cancer to mentor people who have been diagnosed with the disease to provide information on resources and support. Call (414) 918-9222 or (800) 977-4121 for more information.

“Support groups are really beneficial,” says Debra Somerrs Copit, MD, Director of Breast Imaging at Albert Einstein Medical Center, and a member of the medical advisory board for Living Beyond Breast Cancer.

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“When patients are told they’re sick, it can be an out of body experience and they aren’t taking in everything the doctor is saying. It can be helpful to have someone to turn to and learn from who has gone through the same thing,” says Copit, who is a breast cancer survivor herself.

Not only do groups offer emotional support, but being a part of a support group can actually help patients feel less depressed and can help to reduce physical pain, according to a 2001 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

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Patients who aren’t big fans of group settings but still want to reap the benefits can turn to technology. It’s hard to duplicate in-person support groups on the web, but the recently launched breast cancer specific social networking platform, MyBreastCancerTeam comes close.

The site and mobile app caters to breast cancer survivors, and women  who have been recently diagnosed. Users can find suggestions for doctors and find similar users based on location, diagnosis and age. Members also have access to peer-driven Q&A section where they can read and write posts.

While a web platform may be useful for some, Dr.Copit worries that online forums can sometimes trigger the spread of misinformation. She suggests that patients who can’t make it to an in-person support group try calling a phone line.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer has a confidential survivors’ helpline that connects patients with others of similar background, going through similar situation. Call (888) 753-LBBC (5222) for more information.

TELL US: Do you know of any breast cancer support groups in the community? How have they helped you?


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