Patient support

Cancer is a journey, and at the UF Health Cancer Center, you will not face it alone.

From the first phone call you make to our center or the first time you walk through our doors for an appointment, our team will guide you, through the tests and treatments… and the worry and the hope.

We embrace the team approach to patient care. Each of our multidisciplinary teams meets weekly during “tumor conferences” to discuss the details of each patient’s case. This approach leads to a personalized plan, ensuring that comprehensive, coordinated care is available to guide each patient through diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

You might only need surgery, while others need surgery, radiation and chemotherapy to treat their cancer. Other types of treatments include proton therapy, radiotherapy, radiosurgical ablation, robotic surgery or clinical trials of new medications and therapies developed at UF. Whatever combination of care your plan includes, you’ll have access to the most advanced therapies available in the world and the peace of mind knowing you’ll receive the very best care from our specialists and nurses.

At the frontline of cancer care, your nurse navigator is a crucial part of your cancer care team. She’ll be one of the first people you meet at UF Health, and she’ll make sure you know everything that is discussed when the team meets. Nurse navigators are registered nurses who specialize in cancer care. They shepherd patients through hurdles — such as insurance problems and finding a place to stay during treatment — and help coordinate appointments with specialists, work with your team of doctors, explain confusing test results and make sure you know about clinical trials and other opportunities. Most of all, your nurse navigator is a friend, a person you can call with any question

Additional Resources

We know that cancer can be more than a physical disease as it touches the deepest fears of patients and their families. For this reason, we provide information to lessen the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis.

We encourage you to accept help when offered and to reach out for the support you need. Each individual will have different needs. What is meaningful to one person may be meaningless to another. We do know that it is helpful to discuss your concerns – whether it is to a friend, family member or spiritual adviser; in a support group of people going through a similar situation; or to yourself through a journal. Find the method that works best for you.

• Arts In Medicine
• Community and patient calendar
• Hospice
• I’m Too Young for This! Stupid Cancer Foundation