Optimizing the Lives of People Living with Cancer
Cancer Lifeline Online Support Groups & Classes
All online classes and support groups are FREE for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. Check out our website for online access instructions and current program listings. You can also download a copy of our current class catalog here.

Here is a selection of featured upcoming programs:

Addressing Upper-Body Neuropathy Aug 13, 12:30-1:30pm
Register for July & August Classes & Support Groups
All online classes and support groups are FREE for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

Click here for a downloadable pdf of our current catalog.

Check out our website for online access instructions and current program listings.
Monthly Blog: Building Healthy Habits that Stick by Basha Brownstein
A cancer diagnosis can often make you sit up and notice all the less than ideal health habits you’ve acquired over the years. Fortunately, Cancer Lifeline offers many classes and programs that are aimed to help you on your path to a healthier lifestyle including gentle exercise, nutritional, artistic expression, improving sleep, and practicing mindfulness activities such as daily meditation. However, for many of us, it can be challenging to change our deep-rooted, familiar routines and stay consistent with new behaviors in the long-term. As a result, we may end up feeling guilty and ashamed when we slip up, despite our good intentions and efforts. Read more.
Meet Cancer Lifeline Volunteer Jamee Brandli
How does Volunteering make a difference in people's lives?
"You can always hear the gratitude in someone’s voice. Sometimes the call will be 30-40 minutes and they’re happy to be able to get everything off their chest, and just have someone who listens and lets them talk without interrupting them with their ideas or opinions. They can speak freely about everything that they are experiencing with cancer, and that’s usually how they end up finding a solution for themselves."

Jamee lives in New Jersey and volunteers on the Lifeline Thursdays. She graduated in 2020 and is currently working as a genetic counseling assistant while she works on her Master's degree. She used to dance competitively in Jazz and likes to run and swim in her spare time. Interested in becoming a volunteer with us? Learn more about opportunities here
Program Spotlight: August Writing Series
3-Part Writing Series
August 16th, 23rd & 30th
1-2:30pm Online
We understand that the stages of cancer survivorship can be emotionally challenging to those living with cancer, which is why we've planned this 3-part writing series with instructor Judy Schwartz Haley. Whether you are newly diagnosed, managing life during treatment, or just finished treatment and looking at transitioning to your next steps in life, writing can be a powerful tool to help you cope, process your experience and find your way forward in life.
Creative expression can be a powerful way to explore personal feelings about cancer and life in general, and to help release of stressful emotions. Our classes provide hands on engagement, fun and distraction when needed. Since all of the participants share a connection with cancer, it can be a safe place to talk and learn from others, outside of a traditional support group. Register for one or all Writing classes here.
Cancer Lifeline in the Community:
Pierce County Cancer Survivorship Conference, Sat, August 6th 9:00am-1:30pm

We are honored to be a part of the 2022 Pierce County Cancer Survivorship Conference, a Free hybrid (in-person and online) event with education and inspiration for survivors, caregivers and family members. Featuring both live and streamed speaker presentations, plus an outdoor exhibition center at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. The agenda includes topics like Beyond Survivorship:Healing the Whole Person,
as well as COVID-19 & Cancer: Facing
Re-entry & Chair Yoga sponsored by Cancer Lifeline. Register today
Pictured above, Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD, FACP Founder and CEO
Sponsor Spotlight: myMDadvocate

Dr. Susan Baumgaertel has hung up her stethoscope after 25 years of clinical practice in internal medicine and now owns a novel medical consultation business, myMDadvocate. She serves patients in WA state as their virtual physician advocate, guide, partner, coach, resource, navigator, and educator. Common topics include aging with intent, preventive care, menopause, chronic diseases, autoimmune conditions, weight management, behavioral health, cancer and survivorship support, caregiver stress, coping with chronic pain, and referral advocacy. Dr. Baumgaertel also serves as an ally to primary care and specialty physicians and surgeons by helping to “offload” more thorough and deep-dive discussions with patients on medical issues and navigational concerns, a service that our current, strained healthcare system often cannot support
in a timely manner.
A Note from the Executive Director: The Hero's Journey:
A Call to Wellness

The “hero’s journey” comes from the mythologist, Joseph Campbell, who wrote about the stages every hero must undertake. Quite simply, these stages are to embark on an adventure, face a crisis, and return victorious. While each person’s story is unique to them, every person who goes through cancer embarks on a hero’s journey of their own.
 
The hero’s journey doesn’t have to be grandiose or complex. What’s most important is that it’s suited to the unique identity of each individual. Each one of us has a path we need to discover – our own personal quest to becoming whole and well, along with a heartfelt sense of what brings us the greatest joy and connection to ourselves and those we love.
 
At Cancer Lifeline, our mission is to help those whose lives are affected by cancer. It all began in 1973 when Gloria Gutkowski went through her own hero’s journey. Facing her third recurrence of cancer, Gloria was dismayed by the lack of non-medical support available through the medical community. She gathered a group of doctors, nurses, social workers, friends, and family members around her dining room table – and Cancer Lifeline was born.
 
Since then, Cancer Lifeline has constantly introduced and championed new advances in cancer support and offers a multitude of support groups and classes, informational presentations, and exercise programs tailored to the unique challenges of people who have (or have had) cancer. Our years of experience have revealed four common needs which guide our programming:

  • Need for Information
  • Need for Inclusion, not Isolation
  • Need to Express Feelings Without Fear of Judgement
  • Need for Choice and Control
 
I invite you to explore all that we offer. You can decide on what your hero’s journey will be. At Cancer Lifeline, it is our privilege to partner with you on your journey. Collectively, the staff, volunteers, and I all wish you grace, strength, community, and hope along the way.
*Cartoon Credit: From James Norbury's book, "Big Panda, and Tiny Dragon"
KEXP Music Heals Day
Thur, July 21st
Tune in Thursday, July 21st, 2022 for ‘Music Heals: Beyond Cancer’, a day dedicated to the power of music to lift our spirits and heal our souls in the face of cancer. Throughout the day, KEXP will tell the stories shared with us by members of our community and play the songs that helped them through the healing process.
If you would like to share your story and song, please send them in now to stories@kexp.org and tune in to hear those stories and songs on the air.
Our Sponsors Make It Possible
Cancer Lifeline is grateful for the leadership and support of the following sponsors:
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance brings together the leading research teams and cancer specialists of Fred Hutch, Seattle Children's, and UW Medicine. We are grateful for their ongoing support of our programs.
We are grateful for the support of members of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center organization on so many levels - for our current Board Directors who are on the staff at Fred Hutch: Bethany Murphy, Joanna Diallo, and Reetu Ghumman, and for so many informative presenters over many years.
We began our formal hospital partnership with Overlake Medical Center in September of 2017, but our relationship reaches back to 2004 when Cancer Lifeline had office space in Bellevue. We are grateful for Overlake's ongoing support of our events.

Swedish Cancer Institute has been a steady sponsor of Cancer Lifeline's events for several years. Cancer Lifeline works alongside Swedish to help advance the field of emotional support for people living with cancer. Our heartfelt thanks for their continued support.
We are thrilled to welcome Genentech as a new 2022 monthly program sponsor. While this biotechnology corporation is committed to advancing science for the greater good, they are also committed to supporting our local cancer community.
The Commerce Bank of Washington has been supporting Cancer Lifeline since 1995. Several bank staff members have served on our Board, including former TCBW staff, Steven Gerlock and Susan Finneran, who now sits on our Advisory Board. We are grateful for The Commerce Bank of Washington's ongoing partnership.
Cancer Lifeline's relationship with the University of Washington goes back to 1973 when members of the UW faculty sat down with our founder Gloria Gutkowski to talk about the lack of emotional support programs for cancer patients and what might be done about it. Cancer Lifeline salutes UW Medicine for their ongoing support of our events and welcomes them back for 2022.


Cancer Lifeline welcomes myMDadvocate.com as one of its newest sponsors of Resources for Hope. A virtual consultation service for patients in Washington state, myMDadvocate.com is led by our board chair Susan Baumgaertel, MD.
One of Cancer Lifeline's hospital partners, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has locations in both downtown Seattle and Federal Way. Cancer Lifeline is grateful for Virginia Mason's sponsorship of our events.



For the fifth year in a row, Jennifer Evans and her Farmers Insurance agency have been a sponsor of our annual Fall Fundraiser, Resources for Hope. We are so grateful for Jen's ongoing support.

Over 18 years ago, Cancer Lifeline was invited to host a support group at EvergreenHealth. That was just the beginning of our strong partnership. Cancer Lifeline thanks Evergreen for their continued support.
Reaching as far back as 2006, Pathstone 
(formerly Cornerstone Advisors) has been a steadfast sponsor of Cancer Lifeline's events. Our thanks to Cancer Lifeline Advisory Board Member Dave Drews and Pathstone for their continued leadership. We welcome them back for 2022.
We have counted on ROI Technology Inc. to keep us safe, secure, and active on the internet since 2015. Cancer Lifeline salutes ROI Technology for their ongoing support of our events.


We are grateful for the steadfast support of Lilly as a sponsor of our fundraising events over the years. Our thanks to Advisory Board Member Nate Miles.
Mercer advises on global strategic health, benefits programs, health plan management, brokerage solutions, individual insurance and benefits solutions. Mercer joins Cancer Lifeline this year as a 2022 event sponsor thanks to the stewardship of Board Director Elizabeth Zech.
As we expand our services to serve cancer patients and their families in Pierce County, Cancer Lifeline is grateful for our collaboration with Northwest Medical Specialties and we welcome them as our first sponsor for 2022.
Dedicated to promoting the economic benefits of life science business and research for Washington state's economy and patients around the world, We Work for Health seeks to educate our elected leaders, the news media, and the communities they serve about these key contributions. Cancer Lifeline welcomes We Work for Health Washington back as a 2022 sponsor.
Freestone Capital, an independent wealth and advisory firm, joins Cancer Lifeline this year as a first-time event sponsor. Our thanks to Cancer Lifeline Board Director and Treasurer Bobby Gentry.


Thanks to the leadership of Board Director Ben Hicks, Cancer Lifeline welcomes back Soundmark Wealth Management as a sponsor in 2022.
Comfortable and contemporary, funky, and eclectic. No matter what you call it, Kasala has been bringing you unique home furnishings for more than 30 years. We thank the team at Kasala for supporting the needs of cancer patients and their families.


This year's Fundraising with Friends event was sponsored by HomeLight, an innovative online real estate company dedicated to providing equitable solutions for all people interested in buying or selling a home.
Inquiries regarding opportunities to sponsor events and new online programs can be directed to Executive Director Joseph Yurgevich.