Men’s Cancer Support Services

Hong Kong Cancer Fund offers Men’s Cancer Support Services tailored for male-specific cancers patients, including prostate, testicular and penile cancer. We provide FREE professional support services, covering 4 key areas in physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

 

When diagnosed with cancer, in treatment or recovery stage, men often experience stress, anxiety and are overwhelmed and uncertain of who to turn to. Our professional team, including social workers, nurses, art therapist, dietitian and well-trained volunteers, will provide personalised support services and guidance for all the different stages of a cancer journey. These services are specifically designed to help the unique challenges men face such as sex-related problems, self-isolation, reluctance to seek help, financial pressures and fertility concerns.

 

The below are our FREE men’s cancer support services:

 

1. Case management and psychological counselling

Provide personalised support to help manage symptoms and emotions:

 

• A multi-disciplinary team comprising social workers, nurses, clinical psychologists, art therapists and dietitians offer symptom management and psychological counselling.
• A personalised needs assessment is created to develop a tailored care plan, both for the physical and mental care with continuous follow-up and evaluation of service outcomes.
• Offer emotional and psychological support in an individual or group setting.
• Conduct risk assessments and crisis interventions.
• Connect with community resources.

2. Nursing consultation service and rehabilitation guidance

Provide professional nursing and rehabilitation guidance to promote physical recovery and health management:

• Conduct post-surgery rehabilitation exercise programmes, such as stretching, muscle-strength training and Wing Tsun, to enhance physical function.
• Organise professional health talks, covering treatment, doctor-patient communication, symptom management and nutritional guidance etc.
• Hold seminars to update medical information, hormone therapy and side effect management.
• Arrange traditional Chinese medicine talks with doctors to strengthen patients’ self-management skills.

 

3. Psychosocial support

Through diverse activities to enhance patients’ psychological well-being and social connectedness:

 

• Facilitate men’s cancer patient groups to help address emotional and psychological challenges.
• Organise stress-relief activities to enhance mental wellness, such as Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy and magic workshops.
• Host a variety of social activities to inspire greater participation and engagement in the community, including hiking, traditional Chinese pastry-making and tea-tasting gatherings.
• Exclusive activities designed for young adult cancer patients to address their unique social and emotional needs.

 

4. Family support

To promote family harmony and reduce caregiver stress:

 

• Strengthen family resilience by offering family-based counselling, with the aim to enhance mutual understanding and support among family members.
• Offer caring skill training and psychological management groups for caregivers to help alleviate their stress.
• Our special project "Rainbow Club’ can provide emotional support and activities for children aged 5-17 when cancer comes to their family.

 

5. Sexual health and intimacy support

To assist patients and partners in navigating the impact of treatment on relationships:

 

• Intimacy-focused talks and seminars held by doctors and sex therapists, aim to help patients understand how treatment affects the intimate relationship and guide couples to relieve their doubt so as to re-establish their intimate relationship.

 

6. Dietetic consultations

To offer dietary guidance to reduce treatment side effects and enhance quality of life:

 

• Assist in managing diet-related treatment side effects.
• Provide personalised nutritional assessments and tailor-made diet plans.
• Dietetic talks for patients undergoing treatment or in recovery.

 

7. Art therapy and clinical psychologist service

To facilitate emotional expression and healing through art therapy and creative approaches:

 

• Hold art therapy sessions (individual or group-based) to help patients and their families release suppressed emotions and cultivate self-acceptance.
• Professional psychological counselling by clinical psychologists to strengthen inner resilience.

 

8. Wellness programmes

To cultivate a state of inner peace and joy, enhance self-confidence and understand the deep connection between body and mind:

 

• Offer courses such as Yoga, Meditation, Qigong, Pilates, Therapeutic Art, and Sound Healing to improve physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

 

9. Peer support groups

To provide a platform for sharing experiences and insights, aiming to connect and support one another:

 

• Men's support groups, led by volunteer cancer survivors, provide a caring and comfortable environment for newly diagnosed patients to share experiences, gain emotional support and build the connection.
• Organise activities, such as photography workshops, to encourage emotional expression and creativity.
• The "Men's Cancer Care Project: 4A’s to recovery” designed 4 steps to encourages patients to support each other in a safe space.

 

10. Financial assistance

To provide financial assistance to individuals and their families during especially difficult times:

 

• Short-term assistance is provided to patients with financial difficulties, including hardship relief fund and food programme.
• Fertility preservation support service for young adult cancer patients’.

 

11. Medical-social collaboration

To connect with different hospitals and institutions and expand the network:

 

• Closely collaboration with public hospitals to promote our services in Cancer Patient Resource Centres (CPRCs).
• Our frontline team and volunteers regularly visit the oncology outpatient clinics of public hospitals to promote services and provide information.

 

12. Bereavement and palliative care (supportive care) service

To offer a comprehensive palliative care and the end stage cancer support for caregivers:

 

• Promote positive end-of-life education to help patients and families navigate cancer, reflect on life’s meaning and ensure you get the support and care you need so you can have the best quality of life possible.
• Offer symptom and pain management consultations to improve quality of life.
• Provide counselling by social workers for bereaved families to overcome this difficult time.
• Host the following Bereavement and Palliative Care activities:

i.   Symptoms Management – Symptoms Management in Palliative Care, Chinese Medicine and Pain Management, and Pain Relief talk.
ii.  Practical support – such as “Living with Cancer” series, Knowing Community Resources, Diet Tips for Advanced Stage Cancer Patients.
iii. Psychosocial care -- such as Meaning-centred Therapy Group, Deepening Presence’ Photography Workshop.
iv. Family communication, such as Facilitating End-of-life EoL Communication with Loved Ones, Capturing Precious Moments Photography.
v.  Palliative and Bereavement - such as Talk on Advanced Directive, Enduring Power of Attorney and Will and Property Management Legal Consultation.
vi. Bereavement care - such as art therapy workshops and bereavement groups

 

For more details of the above services, please call our FREE services hotline at 3656 0800.