About

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
- Helen Keller

For MyCancerHaven’s founders, the community draws inspiration from this idea and has been created as a haven— a place of refuge—for both patients and healthcare professionals.

Founded by Dr Ravi Vij MD MBA and his wife Dr Kiran Vij MD, the community was built to provide solutions to unmet needs they’ve experienced in both their personal and professional journeys.

MyCancerHaven was
created to be more than  
a resource—it’s a trusted
anchor for patients with
cancer and the physicians
and healthcare professionals
who care for them.

Dr. Vij has worked closely with cancer patients, experts, and researchers from top academic institutions and throughout the industry to improve patient outcomes during his 20-year career as an oncologist at Washington University School of Medicine, a leading academic center. Through these professional experiences, he realized that both cancer patients and healthcare professionals face significant challenges.

In 1988, his mother was diagnosed with metastatic ovarian cancer and died within a month of diagnosis. As a caregiver, he struggled to find reliable information and access to cancer experts. Thirty-five years later as an oncologist, he and his wife observed that despite a revolution in information technology and telecommunication, little had changed. People with cancer and their caregivers wish to be active participants in their healthcare and are among the most active seekers of information on healthcare. Yet they still struggle to find reliable information and support. People with cancer usually begin their quest for information by using online search engines, which provide tens of thousands of results from thousands of websites. Overwhelmed by the often-contradictory information they find, it’s then difficult to reconcile what it means or how it relates to their specific situation.

Additionally, many patients with cancer still find it challenging to identify and connect with healthcare professionals with expertise in their specific type of cancer. Many feel uncomfortable voicing their opinions, or are not sure how to be active participants in their care– this pushes them to utilize social media to interact with other patients and find answers to their questions. But many social networks lack healthcare expert participation to provide proper guidance. Several patients also find it hard to learn about educational and research initiatives seeking patient participation.

Dr Vij also saw that at the other end of the spectrum, cancer experts and organizations also still find it difficult to disseminate information about educational and research initiatives to a broad audience of patients and get the patient perspective about their care. Additionally, students and the next generation of cancer professionals need reliable sources to turn to that help further their knowledge.

The concept of MyCancerHaven was born out of his belief that the solution was to harness the power of information technology to develop an online community curated and moderated by experts with a comprehensive set of resources that would make it possible for patients with cancer and health care professionals to connect, exchange information and collaborate. It was to bridge these gaps that Drs. Ravi and Kiran Vij established MyCancerHaven, a 501(c) not-for-profit organization, to create this first-of-its-kind community and trusted source.

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
- Helen Keller

MyCancerHaven was created to be more than   a resource—it’s a trusted anchor for patients with cancer and the physicians and healthcare professionals who care for them.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does MyCancerHaven do?

MyCancerHaven is a trusted, expert-led online community for patients with blood cancers and their families, physicians, healthcare professionals, health organizations, and others to find reliable information tailored by cancer-type. We provide unprecedented access to cancer experts and specialized educational resources to positively impact patients’ live and, ultimately, improve cancer care. More specifically, we provide:
·  Reputable education resources that are vetted by cancer experts
·  Opportunity for patients and healthcare professionals to exchange information and ask questions of one another.
·  A supportive community moderated by cancer experts

How is MyCancerHaven different?

Which blood cancers does MyCancerHaven provide information, support, and resources for?

Do I need to join MyCancerHaven to access the community boards and information from experts?

Who can join MyCancerHaven?

Is there a cost to use MyCancerHaven?

How do you join MyCancerHaven?

Can people outside of the U.S. join MyCancerHaven?

Is my personal information secure using MyCancerHaven?

Is MyCancerHaven HIPAA compliant?

How do I contact MyCancerHaven?

How do I provide feedback or suggestions to MyCancerHaven?

Does MyCancerHaven offer financial assistance?