Our 13 11 20 Information and Support line is a confidential telephone service open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Anyone can call 13 11 20: people living with cancer, their families, carers and friends, the general public, workplaces and healthcare professionals.
You can speak to an experienced health professional who can answer your questions about cancer including:
- emotional support if you or someone you care about has cancer
- how to prevent cancer
- questions about early detection
- cancer diagnosis
- how to cope with treatment and its side effects
- practical support that is available to anyone affected by cancer
- end of life issues.
They will also connect you to local support services and community-based groups where you can talk to someone who has been through a similar experience.
I reached out and the health professional who took my call listened to my concerns and navigated me to supportive care services like counselling which helped me cope. Bridget, cervical cancer survivor
Dry July Foundation: Funding our national 13 11 20 service
We are grateful to the Dry July Foundation for supporting Cancer Council for seven years through the Dry July campaign. Since 2019, funds raised through Dry July have gone towards funding our vital 13 11 20 telephone support service where our specialists provide confidential cancer information to more than 37,000 callers across Australia each year. Without support from partners like the Dry July Foundation and our community, we couldn’t run vital services, such as 13 11 20, for people impacted by cancer and their loved ones. Find out more about Dry July.
Your questions
We can help you with:
- peer support (patient to patient)
- telephone and online support groups
- referrals to financial planning referral service
- referrals to legal referral service
- referrals to the workplace advisory service
- home support and transport to treatment
- cancer survivor programs
- publications and DVDs about cancer.
You don’t have to experience cancer directly to call 13 11 20. Our service is available to anyone, including members of the public concerned about cancer risk, family members, colleagues, friends, and health professionals.
If you need support outside of business hours, visit the Cancer Council Online Community. This is a moderated peer-support website for people affected by cancer to participate in discussion forums, find support groups and keep personal pages and blogs.
If you are currently distressed, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, available 24 hours a day.
If you need information and support in a language other than English, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50 and ask for Cancer Council 13 11 20.
If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, contact us through the National Relay Service and give the Cancer Council number 13 11 20 when asked by the relay operator.
