The Mesothelioma Center’s Support Network

What Is the Support Network?

The Support Network is The Mesothelioma Center’s program for connecting mesothelioma patients, caregivers and families with ongoing human support, peer community and educational resources. These resources are designed for every stage of living with mesothelioma. 

Our Support Network includes Patient Advocates available via text or phone call, a nationwide community of mesothelioma survivors and caregivers, live educational webinars, a private peer support group and free educational materials our medical and outreach teams produce. All of it is free, and none of it requires pursuing a legal claim.

Patient Advocates: The People Behind the Support

The foundation of the Support Network is our Patient Advocate team. Patient Advocates at The Mesothelioma Center have backgrounds in mesothelioma care and include a registered nurse, a medical doctor, an oncology patient navigator, a hospice care director and VA-accredited claims agents. Together, they bring more than 100 years of combined experience working with mesothelioma patients and families.

When a patient or family member calls, they reach a Patient Advocate directly. We’re not a call center or a generalized support line. The same advocate can follow a family through the full experience, from the first questions after a mesothelioma diagnosis through treatment navigation, financial concerns, veterans support and ongoing emotional needs. Patient Advocates don’t replace doctors, attorneys or VA representatives. They help families understand what those resources are, when to access them and how to ask the right questions when they get there.

Who Is the Support Network For?

Asbestos.com’s Support Network is built for newly diagnosed mesothelioma patients, caregivers, spouses, adult children, veterans and family members at any stage of their experience. Many people who contact The Mesothelioma Center are family members calling on behalf of a loved one. Others have been living with mesothelioma for months or years and are looking for community, mental health support or educational resources they haven’t found elsewhere. 

A Community of People Who Understand

One of the most consistent things mesothelioma patients and families tell us is that they’ve never met anyone else going through the same experience. Mesothelioma is rare, and that isolation is real. The Mesothelioma Center has built a nationwide community specifically to address it, connecting survivors, caregivers and families with others who understand what a mesothelioma diagnosis means from the inside.

Monthly Online Support Group

The Mesothelioma Center’s Patient Advocates started hearing the same thing from patients: They couldn’t find anyone else in their community or at their cancer center also living with mesothelioma. In response, the team launched a monthly online support group in 2013.

Licensed mental health counselor Dana Nolan, MS, LMHC, and Karen Selby, RN, lead each session. Dana specializes in helping patients cope with cancer and serious illness, has worked with mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer patients for years and is a cancer survivor herself. The group is open only to current mesothelioma patients and their caregivers and meets monthly via online access or phone.

Private Facebook Community

The Mesothelioma Center’s private Facebook community gives patients, caregivers and family members a place to connect outside of scheduled sessions. Membership is limited to people with mesothelioma, their family members and friends. Members share experiences, ask questions and offer one another the kind of day-to-day support that only comes from people living through the same thing, at any hour they need it.

The Wall of Hope

The Wall of Hope is a collection of stories from mesothelioma survivors and caregivers from the Asbestos.com community. It shows newly diagnosed patients and families that others have faced this experience and honors the people who shared their stories so others feel less alone.

Free Educational Resources

Understanding mesothelioma takes time. The Mesothelioma Center has developed free educational materials to help patients and families learn at their own pace, prepare for appointments and ask better questions of their care teams.

Free Mesothelioma Guide

The Mesothelioma Center’s comprehensive guide covers diagnosis, treatment options, financial resources, veterans benefits and legal rights. It uses plain language built for patients and families, not medical or legal professionals.

Caregiver Resources

Caregivers carry a significant part of a mesothelioma diagnosis. The Mesothelioma Center offers resources built specifically for people caring for mesothelioma patients, including guides on managing appointments, navigating insurance, understanding palliative and hospice care and sustaining their own wellbeing to avoid caregiver burnout. Caregivers also have their own dedicated Facebook community, the Mesothelioma Caregivers Support Community, a private group where caregivers connect with one another, share experiences and seek advice outside of scheduled sessions.

Educational Webinars

The Mesothelioma Center regularly hosts webinars on topics relevant to mesothelioma patients and their families. Past webinars have covered treatment advances, clinical trial access, veterans benefits, financial assistance and caregiver wellness. Recordings are available on the Asbestos.com website.

Emotional and Mental Health Support

Mesothelioma affects more than physical health. Patients and families often face anxiety, grief, caregiver stress and the emotional weight of an uncertain future. Patient Advocates at The Mesothelioma Center can connect patients and families with mental health counselors, social workers and supportive care resources, including nutrition support, pain management and palliative care, based on where they are in the diagnosis. 

Hospice Care Director Amy Pelegrin helps families understand what palliative and hospice care involve and how to access those resources. Patient Advocates can also connect families to social workers and additional support organizations based on where they are in the diagnosis.

How the Support Network Fits Into the Full Picture

The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com coordinates medical, legal, financial, veterans and support resources through a single Patient Advocate team. The Support Network focuses on connection, community and ongoing navigation, staying with a family throughout the experience and not just at the moment of diagnosis. 

Other resources in Asbestos.com’s network include: the Doctor Match Program, with direct connections to 500+ mesothelioma specialists at 100+ cancer centers of excellence; the Legal Network, with vetted mesothelioma law firms matched to a family’s exposure history and legal situation; and the Veterans Department, with VA-accredited claims agents and a former U.S. Army captain on staff. That combination doesn’t exist anywhere else in the mesothelioma space.

You Don’t Have To Navigate This Alone

A mesothelioma diagnosis changes everything at once. Patients and families are managing medical appointments, paperwork, emotions and decisions, often without anyone in their immediate circle who understands what this experience is actually like. The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com built the Support Network to make sure no patient or family member has to figure out the next step by themselves.

The Support Network isn’t a referral list or an article database. It’s a set of real, ongoing programs built around what families have told us they actually need.

Connect With the Support Network

The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com is here to help you find the next step and the people who can help you take it. Free. Personalized. Built around your family.

Questions Families Ask About the Support Network

What is Asbestos.com’s network of mesothelioma specialists?

Asbestos.com’s nationwide network of mesothelioma specialists includes doctors, cancer centers, surgeons, oncologists, nurses, hospice professionals and other care partners that support The Mesothelioma Center’s goal of supporting patients. It helps our team guide patients and families toward mesothelioma-specific care resources.

What does the network help patients do?

The network of mesothelioma specialists helps patients get access to experienced mesothelioma doctors, cancer centers, second opinions, treatment education, clinical trial opportunities and much more.

Does Asbestos.com provide medical care?

No. The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com does not provide direct medical care and does not replace your doctor or medical team. We provide education, support and connections to qualified medical professionals and care resources.

Can Asbestos.com help me find a second opinion?

Yes. If you feel that you need a second opinion, we can find a mesothelioma specialist who can provide you with that peace of mind.

Who can use the network?

Patients, caregivers, veterans, family members, clinicians and care partners can contact us for free mesothelioma support.