Cancer Survival Toolbox logo color rev

Cancer Survival Toolbox®

English | Español

The award-winning Cancer Survival Toolbox is a free audio program. It was created by leading cancer organizations to help people develop skills to better meet and understand the challenges of their illness.

The program contains a set of basic skills and special topics. Each scenario is inspired by true stories of real cancer patients. The Cancer Survival Toolbox® is for people at any point in their care. It is used by patients, health care professionals, and by individuals or in support group settings.

Produced through a unique collaboration between the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), the Association of Oncology Social Workers (AOSW), and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), with a grant from Genentech, Inc., the Toolbox encourages people with cancer and their caregivers to take a more active role in their care.

The program contains a set of basic skills and special topics. Each scenario is inspired by true stories of real cancer patients. The Cancer Survival Toolbox® is for people at any point in their care. It is used by patients, health care professionals, and by individuals or in support group settings.

Produced through a unique collaboration between the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), the Association of Oncology Social Workers (AOSW), and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), with a grant from Genentech, Inc., the Toolbox encourages people with cancer and their caregivers to take a more active role in their care.

The program contains a set of basic skills and special topics. Each scenario is inspired by true stories of real cancer patients. The Cancer Survival Toolbox® is for people at any point in their care. It is used by patients, health care professionals, and by individuals or in support group settings.

Produced through a unique collaboration between the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), the Association of Oncology Social Workers (AOSW), and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), with a grant from Genentech, Inc., the Toolbox encourages people with cancer and their caregivers to take a more active role in their care.

Listen Online

Listed below are the separate programs which make up the Cancer Survival Toolbox. Each page has a player where you can listen to the full program. The full Cancer Survival Toolbox can also be downloaded for FREE in the NCCS store and is available on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

Basic Skills

  • Communicating

    This program helps you to better express your thoughts and feelings to others and learn how to be an active listener.

  • Finding Information

    “Finding Information” explains how to use many of the different resources available to find information that will help you understand your kind of cancer and its treatment.

  • Making Decisions

    This program helps you identify how you make decisions, how your style of decision making can work or be improved, and how you can weigh the pros and cons of treatment decisions.

  • Solving Problems

    “Solving Problems” describes how to identify and follow the steps needed to solve a difficult situation in your life or daily activity.

  • Negotiating

    Negotiating means talking with people involved in your health care so that you can get what you need to have the best quality of life possible.

  • Standing Up Your Rights

    This program helps you learn how to actively do something in your own best interest in order to feel more in control of your life. This is also known as self-advocacy.

  • First Steps for the Newly Diagnosed

    In this program, we offer practical guidelines designed to help you take those first steps toward successfully meeting the challenges that a cancer diagnosis can impose.

  • Communicating

    This program helps you to better express your thoughts and feelings to others and learn how to be an active listener.

  • Finding Information

    “Finding Information” explains how to use many of the different resources available to find information that will help you understand your kind of cancer and its treatment.

  • Making Decisions

    This program helps you identify how you make decisions, how your style of decision making can work or be improved, and how you can weigh the pros and cons of treatment decisions.

  • Solving Problems

    “Solving Problems” describes how to identify and follow the steps needed to solve a difficult situation in your life or daily activity.

  • Negotiating

    Negotiating means talking with people involved in your health care so that you can get what you need to have the best quality of life possible.

  • Standing Up Your Rights

    This program helps you learn how to actively do something in your own best interest in order to feel more in control of your life. This is also known as self-advocacy.

  • First Steps for the Newly Diagnosed

    In this program, we offer practical guidelines designed to help you take those first steps toward successfully meeting the challenges that a cancer diagnosis can impose.

Special Topics

  • Caring for the Caregiver

    Caring for the Caregiver was developed specifically to provide resources and support for cancer caregivers to help them address the issues they face on an ongoing basis.

  • Living Beyond Cancer

    Cancer survivorship is a day-to-day, ongoing process. This program discusses several important issues specific to life beyond the diagnosis and initial treatment of cancer.

  • Dying Well – The Final Stage of Survivorship

    Few of us know just what to do or say or how to find the support we need when we are nearing the end of our lives and saying our final goodbyes. “Dying Well” is designed to teach you more about your choices and resources, as well as what to expect during this last stage of survival.

All programs of the Cancer Survival Toolbox® are available for free as a podcast on Apple Podcasts.

NCCS News