Site Helps Cancer Patients Connect

New Web Site Helps Cancer Patients Connect


The American Cancer Society is offering a new Web site that promises to help people facing cancer more easily find the peers, resources, and information they need.

WhatNext, developed with the participation of the American Cancer Society, uses unique technology to match users with similar experiences such as diagnosis, treatment, and other factors. It provides an easy way for users to share details of their cancer experience, allows them to ask and answer questions, and points them to American Cancer Society cancer information, as well as local resources vetted by the Society.

The goal is to help the newly diagnosed know what to expect, and offer people who’ve walked the same road a way to help others. All information shared on the site is public.

“We are proud to have the American Cancer Society offer WhatNext to provide people affected by cancer with an efficient way to quickly connect with peers and resources specific to their needs,” said David Wasilewski, founder of WhatNext. “Dealing with cancer is emotionally and physically draining. Connecting with others who have been down that road is extraordinarily meaningful, for those who have questions and for people who have answers.”

WhatNext is the newest offering in the suite of American Cancer Society online support services, which also include the Cancer Survivors Network and Circle Of Sharing.

WhatNext emphasizes the treatment journey, while Cancer Survivors Network is more focused on emotional support. Circle Of Sharing customizes cancer information that users can share and creates a Personal Health Record.

“The services really complement each other,” says Roshini George, national vice president for Health Promotion at the American Cancer Society. “Though they’re all designed to offer support, each one does so in a slightly different way and has its own unique features that will appeal to different kinds of users.”