Caregiver hub
You showed up. Here's what to do next.
By Cura Editorial Team ·
A grouped library for anyone supporting a loved one through cancer or a serious illness. Pick the group that matches where you are right now — every link opens a plain-language guide you can read in a few minutes and act on today.
You just heard the news
The first message is the hardest. Start here for what to text, write, or say in the first 48 hours after a loved one's diagnosis.
What to say to someone with cancer
The one sentence that almost always works, plus the phrases to avoid — even when they're well-intentioned.
ReadJust diagnosed with cancer: what to do first
The practical 72-hour guide to forward to the person going through it, if they want a starting point.
ReadQuestions to ask after any new diagnosis
A framework you can send along so they walk into their next appointment prepared.
ReadYou need something to send
Card sitting on the kitchen table, a text you keep re-drafting, a group chat waiting on someone to say something. Ready-to-send messages, organized by moment.
You're learning about symptoms
Plain-language guides to the early symptoms of the most-searched cancers — what to watch for, which signs need a same-week doctor visit, and what screening actually looks like.
Symptoms of breast cancer
Lumps, skin and nipple changes, discharge — the early signs and when to push for a diagnostic mammogram.
ReadSymptoms of lung cancer
Persistent cough, blood in sputum, shortness of breath — and who qualifies for low-dose CT screening.
ReadSymptoms of colon cancer
Blood in the stool, bowel changes, unexplained anemia — the signs doctors take most seriously after 45.
ReadSymptoms of prostate cancer
Why early prostate cancer is usually silent, and what PSA-based screening actually looks like.
ReadSymptoms of pancreatic cancer
Jaundice, back pain, new diabetes after 50 — the signs to push imaging for.
ReadSymptoms of lymphoma
Painless swollen lymph nodes, drenching night sweats, B symptoms — and when to push for a biopsy.
ReadSymptoms of ovarian cancer
Persistent bloating, pelvic pressure, feeling full fast — the four-symptom pattern that matters when there's no screening test.
ReadSymptoms of kidney cancer
Blood in the urine, flank pain, unexplained anemia — and why most kidney cancers are found by accident on a scan.
ReadSymptoms of bladder cancer
Painless blood in the urine that comes and goes — the sign people wait out, and the test to ask for instead.
ReadSymptoms of leukemia
Fatigue, bruising, petechiae, repeat infections — the early signs in adults and children, and why a CBC comes first.
ReadSymptoms of melanoma
The ABCDE rule, the ugly duckling sign, and the melanomas that appear under nails and on soles.
ReadSymptoms of thyroid cancer
A painless neck lump, hoarseness, trouble swallowing — and why normal thyroid labs don't rule it out.
ReadYou're helping them understand a document
Pathology reports, imaging notes, and appointment summaries are hard to read. These guides translate the vocabulary into plain language.
How to read a pathology report you don't understand
A plain-language walk-through of what's on the page and what to ask about next.
ReadWhat to ask after a breast cancer diagnosis
The cancer-specific question list, useful whether you're the patient or the person sitting next to them.
ReadWhat to ask after a lung cancer diagnosis
Biomarker testing, staging, immunotherapy, and the questions that shape lung cancer treatment.
ReadWhat to ask after a prostate cancer diagnosis
Gleason score, active surveillance, surgery vs. radiation — and the side-effect trade-offs.
ReadWhat to ask after a colon cancer diagnosis
MSI/MMR testing, staging, surgery, chemo, and whether an ostomy is part of recovery.
ReadWhat to ask after a lymphoma diagnosis
Exact subtype, staging, watch and wait, chemotherapy, and CAR-T — the questions that shape treatment.
ReadWhat to ask after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis
Resectability, genetic testing, high-volume centers, and the order of chemotherapy and surgery.
ReadYou're supporting an aging parent
The role reversal that arrives with a parent's diagnosis — memory, mobility, medications, and the appointments that pile up.
Caring for a parent with dementia: where to start
The first practical steps when a parent's memory loss begins reshaping daily life.
ReadWhat to ask after an Alzheimer's diagnosis
The starting question list for the first appointments after a parent's Alzheimer's diagnosis.
ReadWhat to ask after a heart disease diagnosis
Broad and condition-specific questions to bring into cardiology visits.
ReadYour child just got a diagnosis
A separate kind of hard. Where to start when the patient is your child, and how to build the small routines that make treatment survivable for the whole family.
You need a plan of your own
You can't pour from an empty cup. Guides for the caregiver's own wellbeing, energy, and long-term sustainability.
What to ask after a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis
For when the person you're caring for is managing a chronic condition alongside everything else.
ReadAsk Cura anything, in plain language
Use the chat to draft a message, decode a report, or plan the next appointment — as the caregiver, on their behalf.
ReadTreatment, cost, and your options
Once the diagnosis is settled, the next questions are practical: should we get another read, what will this cost, what do the weeks ahead look like, and is a trial worth asking about.
How to get a second opinion on a cancer diagnosis
Which records to request, how to reach an NCI-designated center, and what insurance covers.
ReadHow much do cancer scans cost?
CT, MRI, and PET pricing with and without insurance — plus the five calls that lower the bill.
ReadChemo side effects week by week
The day-by-day rhythm of a cycle, the nadir, and when a fever means calling right away.
ReadHow clinical trials work — and how to know if you qualify
Phases, randomization, eligibility criteria, and what the study pays for versus your insurance.
ReadNot sure where to start?
Describe the situation in your own words — a diagnosis you're trying to understand, a message you're trying to write, an appointment you're preparing for — and Cura will point you at the right guide.
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