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Do you want to meet other people with cancer? Join our What Now? community >>

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Cancerbackup, the information and support charity, has launched the first online cancer social network in the UK at www.whatnow.org.uk

Called What Now? because that’s the first question you ask when diagnosed with cancer, the website provides people affected by cancer with an unprecedented ability to connect, communicate and exchange information with one another. The new site allows users not only to access the high quality information provided by Cancerbackup, but to add their own stories, experiences, comments and pictures to the site and share them with other users.

Feedback from members on the site, shows how invaluable it is to people affected by cancer to be able to communicate with others who know what they are going through. Natasha, 32, diagnosed with melanoma, said: -

“My god, what a fantastic website. Since my original diagnosis in 98 I've been looking for a place for people like me - and here it is!”

What now? is one of the first questions people ask when they, or a loved one receive a diagnosis of cancer and the site helps people to link up with others in a similar situation to themselves. Anyone can join the site and share their experiences or simply find out more information.

Kim Hardwick, Senior Nurse at Cancerbackup said: -

“The What Now? social network is the first to really embrace patient-to-patient support and information on the web. We are really excited about the potential that the What Now? network has to enable the cancer community to talk to each other and share their direct experience and knowledge about dealing with cancer.”

Users of the What Now? website can: -

• Create their own profile page, where they can tell their story, display photos and videos and make friends online.
• Keep a personal blog recording their experience of cancer to share with others in a similar situation.
• Read and contribute to discussion forums on all aspects of cancer.
• Chat live with other users, Cancerbackup nurses and other invited experts.
• Keep up to date with news on treatments and research on cancer and what’s going on with their online friends.
• Watch and help us build the web's largest collection of cancer-related videos.
• Rate any content they come across, allowing quality information to rise to the top.
• Quickly and easily find others in a similar situation to themselves.

To join What Now? visit www.whatnow.org.uk

-Ends-

For more information during office hours please contact Dave Ward on 020 7920 7218 or dward@cancerbackup.org or Michelle Rowley on 0207 920 7219 or mrowley@cancerbackup.org

For press enquiries outside office hours please call 07973 308 346.

1. Cancerbackup is the only national charity that specialises in providing information on all types of cancer.
2. All Cancerbackup services are free to cancer patients, their relatives and friends.
3. Cancerbackup Freephone Information Service: 0808 800 1234 (Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm).  Cancerbackup Centres can be found in St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital, the London Clinic, The Christie Hospital, Ipswich Hospital, Nottingham City Hospital, Coventry’s University Hospital and Jersey. The charity’s website can be found at www.cancerbackup.org.uk
4. Cancerbackup, as a charity, receives 54% of its funding from individuals, 11% from charitable trusts, 5% from grants, 14% from companies, 2% from investments and 14% from its trading company. Pharmaceutical companies contributed 9% of the total 2005/06 income.
5. In April 2006 Cancerbackup changed its name from CancerBACUP, so that the charity’s name better represents the service the charity provides: information, understanding and support to anyone affected by cancer.