living with a serious disease such as a brain tumor is not easy. some people find they need help coping with the emotional and practical aspects of their disease. support groups can help. in these groups patients or their family members get together to share what they have learned about coping with the disease and the effects of treatment. patients may want to talk with a member of their health care team about finding a support group. groups may offer support in person over the telephone or on the internet. people living with a brain tumor may worry about caring for their families keeping their jobs or continuing daily activities. concerns about treatments and managing side effects hospital stays and medical bills are also common. doctors nurses and other members of the health care team can answer questions about treatment working or other activities. meeting with a social worker counselor or member of the clergy can be helpful to those who want to talk about their feelings or discuss their concerns. often a social worker can suggest resources for financial aid transportation home care or emotional support. the cancer information service can provide information to help patients and their families locate programs services and publications. the promise of cancer research doctors all over the country are conducting many types of clinical trials. these are research studies in which people take part voluntarily. studies include new ways to treat brain tumors. research has already led to advances and researchers continue to search for more effective approaches. patients who join these studies have the first chance to benefit from treatments that have shown promise in earlier research. they also make an important contribution to medical science by helping doctors learn more about the disease. although clinical trials may pose some risks researchers take very careful steps to protect their patients. researchers are testing new anticancer drugs doses and treatment schedules. they are working with various drugs and drug combinations as well as combinations of drugs and radiation therapy. they also are testing new methods and schedules of radiation therapy. patients who are interested in being part of a clinical trial should talk with their doctor. the national cancer institute's web site includes a section on clinical trials at <link> it also offers detailed information about ongoing studies of treatment for brain tumors. the cancer information service at 1-800-4-cancer can answer questions and provide information about clinical trials.
what support is available to patients with brain tumors?