Stronger Together – Peer Support
Stronger Together
An evidence-based, peer-to-peer support program that uses trained, supervised cancer survivor-volunteers to help fill gaps in professional support services. Through structured mentorship, these trained volunteers assist cancer patients and their families in navigating treatment, managing distress, and accessing emotional and practical support.
OBJECTIVES:
‣Inform patients and care partners about cancer-related topics
‣Decrease distress for patients and care partners
‣Increase adherence to treatment and follow-up care
‣Provide emotional and navigational support
‣Build a sense of community among the cancer survivor population
OUTCOMES:
‣Reduction in distress for patients and care partners
‣Improved cancer awareness among patients and their families
‣Reduced burden on hospital staff and oncology teams
‣Increased sense of community and purpose for peer mentor volunteers
IMPACT:
To date, more than 300 women with lived experience of cancer have been trained as peer mentor advocates in Vietnam, providing critical support and guidance to newly diagnosed patients. The program has been integrated into four major oncology centers:
Hue Central Hospital
K3 National Cancer Hospital (Hanoi)
Hung Vuong Women’s Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City)
Can Tho Oncology Hospital
Each site implements Stronger Together under clinical supervision, ensuring peer mentors are supported and that patients receive high-quality, structured peer support.
An NCI-funded clinical trial (PA-18-591) piloted Stronger Together in Vietnam (2020-23) among breast and gynecologic cancer patients. Conducted in partnership with the Bright Future Fund, Hanoi Medical University, New York University, four oncology hospitals, and cancer survivor groups, the study demonstrated that this peer support model is highly acceptable to patients, peer mentors, and healthcare providers. The program significantly reduced distress and anxiety, improved psychological outcomes (including depression and self-efficacy), and provided essential navigational support. The findings confirm that Stronger Together is a feasible, resource-efficient intervention that can be integrated into oncology settings without increasing provider workload (manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal of Global Oncology).
GLOBAL EXPANSION:
Building on this success, Stronger Together is now being implemented and adapted in multiple countries, ensuring its reach and impact continue to grow:
Rwanda: Partnering with the Rwanda Women’s Cancer Relief Foundation to trial the Stronger Together Toolkit across three breast cancer sites.
United States: A pilot with Soul Ryeders in Rye, NY, supporting women affected by cancer.
Australia: In collaboration with Western Sydney University, Stronger Together is guiding the development of a peer navigation resource for Chinese and Vietnamese immigrant communities.
Ethiopia: Working with local partners to integrate the program within existing cancer care networks, ensuring structured peer mentorship for newly diagnosed patients.
Thailand & Malaysia: New peer support models are being developed, tailored to the specific needs and challenges faced by cancer patients in these regions.
These global efforts reinforce our commitment to people-centered cancer care, ensuring that lived experience is not just acknowledged, but actively shapes cancer support systems worldwide.
WHY IT MATTERS:
Stronger Together is more than a program—it’s a movement toward compassionate, community-driven cancer care, built on the power of lived experience.
By integrating peer mentorship into oncology settings, we are ensuring that people who have faced cancer firsthand play an active role in shaping support systems. Lived experience is expertise—peer mentors provide unique, real-world insights that go beyond clinical care, offering practical guidance, emotional support, and a sense of solidarity that only someone who has walked the same path can provide.
This approach creates sustainable, culturally responsive support networks that help people with cancer feel less alone, more informed, and better equipped to navigate their care—because no one should have to go through cancer without the support of someone who truly understands.