International Resources
Disclaimer: These resources are regularly reviewed to ensure that links still work correctly and the resources listed continue to be helpful to our visitors. If you find that a link isn't working or information is incorrect or if you'd like to have your own organization listed here, please email thedirectory@lls.org.
Because we want to be sure that our visitors find the most relevant resources, we've listed these organizations in order of relevancy from most specifically relevant to most generally relevant to the topic of this page.
International Cancer Information Service Group (ICISG)
Population served: Anyone looking for cancer information and support
ICISG's mission is to provide cancer information services and resources on all aspects of cancer, for those concerned or affected by cancer.
- Provides a listing of organizations with information about cancer: in some countries a call center supplies cancer information, local community services and support groups
- Provides email contact to ICISG directly; any questions about cancer or services will be forwarded to an international organization for information and referral
The National Children's Cancer Society (NCCS)
Contact: (800) 532-6459
Population served: Cancer patients up to age 21 (must have been diagnosed before age 18) worldwide
NCCS provides programs and services to improve the quality of life for children with cancer and their families.
- Provides financial support, which can include assistance with health insurance premiums, lodging, food, transportation and telephone expenses
- Provides state-specific as well as national scholarships for college
- Provides educational materials
- Provides the Care to Share Cancer Connection internet support network for families to share experiences
- Global Outreach Program distributes donated pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to facilities internationally to treat children free-of-charge
Union For International Cancer Control (UICC)
Contact: 41 22 809 1811 (Headquarters in Switzerland)
Population served: Patients with cancer and healthcare professionals worldwide
UICC is a nongovernmental association with member organizations working in cooperation as expert groups and task forces.
- Offers grant money for fellowships and training opportunities to medical professionals
- 280 member organizations in over 90 countries
Children's Wish Foundation International, Inc. (CWFI)
Contact: (800) 323-9474
Population served: Children under age 18 with a life-threatening illness, worldwide
CWFI fulfills wishes for children and unlike other wish-granting organizations, does not have a minimum age. However, if the child's health allows it, the wish fulfillment is reserved until the child is old enough to fully enjoy and remember the experience.
- Offers Wish Fulfillment Program, which provides a trip to a destination of the patient's choice and includes travel arrangements, lodging, entertainment tickets, expense money and volunteer support
- Offers the Family Focus Program, which provides a memorable evening out. CWFI offers gift cards and certificates for families to enjoy a special dinner together or a trip to a local family entertainment center, theater tickets or entrance to sporting events, a circus, etc. In addition, CWFI arranges for weekend getaways
- Offers Hospital Enrichment Program, which places educational and entertainment materials in hospitals that care for children (toys, books, electronics, dolls and children's clothing). In addition, CWFI hosts festive parties at many hospitals
- Offers Young Minds Program, for children under age 3 or whose cognitive level is under age 3. This program can offer:
- TV with DVD player and DVD collection
- CD player with music collection
- Toy and doll collection
- Comfort station with rocker
- Activity assortment
The Max Foundation (TMF)
Contact: (888) 462-9368
Population served: People diagnosed with a blood cancer, with a focus on developing countries
TMF helps connect blood cancer patients to treatment options through a network of in-country, on-the-ground advocates known as MaxStations.
- Provides support and counseling by telephone and email
- Provides clinical trial guidance
- Identifies local partner nongovernmental organizations with resources
- Facilitates drug donations from pharmaceutical companies
- Manages an international patient assistance program for Gleevec/Glivec
Aplastic Anemia & International MDS Foundation, Inc. (AA&MDSIF)
Contact: (800) 747-2820
Population served: People diagnosed with aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
AA&MDSIF's mission is to support patients, families and caregivers coping with these diseases and related bone marrow failure diseases.
AA&MDSIF offers a variety of programs and services:
- Information for patients: free educational materials, print and electronic newsletters, Online Learning Center, and Patient and Family Conferences
- Patient support services: personalized support from Patient Educators, and Peer Support Network, clinical trials information, and local support groups
- Research: funds research to find better treatments and cures for aplastic anemia, MDS and PNH; advocates for increased federal funding of bone marrow failure disease research
- Current information for medical professionals about these diseases, their diagnosis and treatment
International Myeloma Foundation (IMF)
Contact: (800) 452-2873 or (818) 487-7455 (International)
Population served: People diagnosed with myeloma and healthcare professionals
IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure.
- Provides a call center
- Provides online and printed disease information in 16 languages
- Offers a support group locator
- Funds research
MPN Research Foundation
Contact: (312) 683-7243
Population served: People diagnosed with myeloproliferative neoplasms
The mission is to finance research on treatments for myeloproliferative neoplasms, polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia and primary myelofibrosis.
- Helps to coordinate MPN support groups in many areas of the United States, Canada, England, Australia, Germany and Japan
- Provides informational materials and newsletters
- Funds research
The Myelodysplastic Syndrome Foundation (MDS Foundation)
Contact: (609) 298-6746 or (800) 637-0839 (United States)
Population served: People diagnosed with MDS, their caregivers and healthcare professionals
The MDS Foundation is devoted to the prevention, treatment and study of MDS.
- Provides treatment updates for patients and professionals
- Provides informational materials in many languages
- Provides clinician resources
- Links to the Boston University MDS Patient Registry
José Carreras International Leukemia Foundation
Contact: 34 902 240 480
Population served: Healthcare professionals worldwide
The mission of the Foundation is to contribute to finding a cure for leukemia and to improve the quality of patient's lives. It does this in three main areas:
- Promotes the search for bone marrow and umbilical cord blood donors through its REDMO (Bone Marrow Donor Registry) Program that carries out awareness-raising, donor recruitment and search campaigns to provide greater opportunities for cure to people with leukemia. Bone marrow searches are carried out on behalf of patients in Spain and others of any nationality within the framework of the International Bone Marrow Donors World-Wide Program
- Supports scientific research through its grants program, mainly awarded to young researchers and open to scientists from any country in the world
- Contributes to funding for transplant units and umbilical cord blood banks so that patients can benefit from the latest advances in technology
The EyeCare Foundation (ECF)
Contact: (212) 832-7297
Population served: Patients diagnosed with intraocular chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma and healthcare professionals
ECF provides education and support to eye cancer patients as well as information regarding eye cancer for healthcare professionals.
- Provides case studies, articles and an eNewsletter
- Provides links to resources for a number of issues related to eye cancer
- Provides a web-based patient support group
- Provides a physician finder
- Provides information for physicians
First Hand Foundation
Contact: (816) 201-1569
Population served: Children 18 and under with health-related needs (any diagnosis)
First Hand Foundation helps children with health-related needs when insurance and other financial resources have been exhausted. The Foundation also offers mission-based grants to other non-profit organizations.
- Partners with medical mission organizations to provide medical skills and medications
- Provides assistance to children who are under the care of a doctor, have a specific need and have no insurance coverage
Make-A-Wish International
Contact: (602) 230-9900
Population served: Children 3 to 18 years of age at the time of referral, with a life-threatening medical condition
Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children to enrich the human experience. The applicant may not have received a wish from another wish-granting organization.
- The steps for getting a wish include a referral from the child's parents/guardian, healthcare team or even the child; medical eligibility as determined by the doctor; a visit by the wish team to learn about the child's wish.
- Most common wishes fall into four categories; I wish to go, I wish to be, I wish to meet, I wish to have
- Found in multiple countries - see each country for specifics
Icla da Silva Foundation
Contact: (888) 638-2870
Population served: Patients with any disease needing a stem cell transplant (focus on Latin America)
The mission is to improve quality of life for children and adults with leukemia, lymphoma or a genetic immune or metabolic disorder and improve access to bone marrow from unrelated donors.
- Provides financial aid, information and emotional support to patients with blood-related cancers
- Provides referrals to patients searching for medical professionals, treatment centers, transplantation or a second medical opinion
- Provides assistance to patients and families looking for a compatible bone marrow/stem cell match
- Provides specialized outreach and retention programs for minority communities
- Provides services to patients coming to New York for treatment, helps to arrange housing and find a treatment center
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
Contact: (612) 627-8140
Population served: People with diseases that can be treated by a bone marrow or cord blood transplant
NMDP assists patients in need of a bone marrow or cord blood transplant.
- Provides a call center
- Recruits and supports donors
- Offers educational resources
- Establishes agreements with cooperative donor registries in other countries to provide patients with access to additional volunteer donors
- Invites referring physicians to obtain information about transplant advances, the care of transplant patients and the importance of timely referral for transplant
- Funds research programs to advance the science of bone marrow and cord blood transplant
American Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR)
Contact: (800) 745-2452
Population served: Patients needing transplant and marrow/stem cell donors
ABMDR works to educate and recruit potential marrow donors and maintains the associated donor records. It coordinates and processes patient search requests and provides comprehensive assistance to patients and physicians throughout the search process.
- Links to a listing of cord blood banks and stem cell donor registries
- Physicians can request a match over the Internet for unrelated donor search
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Contact: (866) 423-3965
Population served: People with cancer
AACR is focused on every aspect of innovative cancer research. The mission is to prevent and cure cancer through research, education and communication.
Provides a listing of resources which include support services, information and assistance
Children's Hospice International (CHI)
Contact: (800) 242-4453
Population served: Children needing hospice care
CHI promotes hospice support through pediatric care facilities, encourages the inclusion of children in existing and developing hospice, palliative and home care programs and includes hospice perspectives in all areas of pediatric care, education and the public arena.
- Offers a resource directory which provides a listing of countries with hospice services
International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC)
Contact: (866) 374-2472
Population served: Patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals worldwide, with a focus on developing countries
The mission is to improve the quality of life of patients with advanced life-threatening conditions and their families, by advancing hospice and palliative care programs, education, research and favorable policies.
- Provides a global directory of palliative care providers/services/organizations
- Offers language translation services to meet the needs of patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals
- Provides a monthly newsletter and a listing of hospice related books
- Offers a link to IAHPC Manual of Palliative Care; links to publications
Offers membership through a donation
CML Advocates Network
Population served: CML patients, their relatives and healthcare professionals worldwide
CML Advocates Network is a virtual network of nonprofit organizations supporting patients and their relatives by sharing knowledge and best practice, supporting campaigns, and educating advocates how to build and grow patient groups.
The main objectives of the CML Advocates Network website are:
- To provide a worldwide web directory of CML patient groups, to allow patient groups to find national support groups in other countries
- To provide a platform of communication for CML patient advocates, e.g., to share best practice on cancer patient advocacy
- To provide updated conference information
St. Jude International Outreach Program
Contact:(901) 595-2349 - this is not a patient referral number (also, please see the web link below for additional contact information)
Population served: pediatric blood cancer patients, their caregivers, and healthcare providers specializing in pediatric catastrophic diseases worldwide
The mission of the International Outreach Program is to improve the survival rates of children with catastrophic illnesses worldwide, through the transfer of knowledge, technology and organizational skills.
At the local level, International Outreach develops partnerships with medical institutions and fund-raising organizations and facilitates the involvement of other agencies and organizations to support key programs and the education of local personnel.
At the regional level, International Outreach develops programs through the use of technology. The primary goal is to promote local and regional self-sufficiency.
By sharing knowledge and technology with the local governments, healthcare providers, and the private sector in these countries, St. Jude is improving diagnoses and treatments to increase the survival rates of children all across the globe.
In addition to training medical teams locally, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hosts many visiting fellows at its campus in Memphis, Tennessee.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has partner sites in the following countries:
Brazil Chile China Costa Rica Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala
Honduras Jordan Lebanon Mexico Morocco Philippines Venezuela
For contact information for the international sites, please use this link: Partner Sites
(this link also provides the contact information for 6 countries that have collaborating sites.)
