While I Had Cancer is focused on connecting people based on shared stories, we recognize that dealing with cancer is a deeply personal and emotional experience. This is why your privacy is our top priority.

What people can see:

Bio: Anyone can read the first 350 characters of your Bio if they are browsing the Community page. They must go to your Profile to see the rest however they can only see this page if they are a registered member.

Limited Profile: Only registered members of the I Had Cancer community can see your Profile. They must be connected to you before they can see your full profile.

Full Profile: Only people who are connected to you (in your Circle) can see your full profile, including your Story/Journal, Resources/Treatment and Newsfeed. If they are in your circle they can also send direct messages.

For full details please see our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

I Had Cancer is a social support network focused on helping people deal with cancer more effectively, by connecting the people who have been there with the people who are there right now – Survivors, Fighters, and Supporters. This means, that providing some basic personal information will help us match you with the people who need your help – and if you need help, the people who can help you.

Why share? To put it simply: because your story – no matter how small you think it is – can change someone’s life.

Hear from some of our members:

Read what members are saying.

If you would like to share your story you can start by registering. From there, complete your profile, share it with your friends and family and when you are ready, you can openly communicate with others.

If you’re not ready to register (it’s ok – take your time), browse through the site and get inspired by reading other stories. However, if you want to read deeper into someone’s profile, post in the Discussions section, and connect with others to engage in open communications, you will need to register.

It is up to you how much information you wish to share. We will NOT distribute any personally identifiable information to any outside source. It will remain private and under your control.

I Had Cancer is for anyone who has been touched by cancer in any way. It is for:

Fighters: People who are battling cancer now.
Survivors: People who have beaten cancer.
Supporters: Friends, family, caregivers, or anyone who knows someone dealing with cancer.

Our founder, Mailet Lopez was diagnosed with cancer at age 33. She had a great doctor and very supportive family and friends, but still found herself overwhelmed and alone in fighting the disease. She wanted to connect with someone who she could relate to – someone around her age, from the same location, someone with a similar background – but there was no easy way to do so. As the co-founder of an award winning digital media agency, Squeaky Wheel Media, she used her skills in website usability and the resources of her company to create I Had Cancer. To read more about Mailet & her story, check out the About section of the site.

After Mailet was diagnosed, she often heard the words "You have cancer. You could die." She decided to take a positive attitude and told these people, "No. I had cancer." This mentality allowed Mailet to stay hopeful of the future and was essential in her fight against cancer. The name I Had Cancer came from the hope that this kind of positive thinking could help others dealing with cancer as well.

I Had Cancer is a comprehensive social networking site with the sole mission of building a community among cancer patient, survivors, their friends and supporters. I Had Cancer harnesses the power of social media to connect you with someone who’s been in your shoes.

I Had Cancer was not only founded by a cancer survivor, but it was also built by a team of digital pioneers who leveraged years of experience to provide a best in class service.

Yes. To participate and join the I Had Cancer community you must be 13 years of age or older. However, since cancer knows no age and children under the age of 13 are affected, those under the age limit can talk to their parents or legal guardians about having them share their story.

No, I Had Cancer is completely free to use.            

I Had Cancer is not a non-profit. This was a difficult decision to make, but in the end, it became clear that we would not be able to fulfill our top priority - providing the best service possible to make dealing with cancer easier - if we were splitting our efforts with fundraising. We made this choice so we could make I Had Cancer the best service possible for you.

Your username serves multiple purposes:

If you prefer to keep your name private from anyone you’re not connected to you can opt to use your username instead. You can decide this during the registration process or change your settings once you log in.

Your username also serves as your own personal URL (example: www.IHadCancer.com/YOUR-USERNAME) making it easier to share with your family and friends.

You can use your username or email address to log in to the site.

A username CANNOT be changed, so choose wisely.

You can choose to view your search results by location (on a map) or by member profiles. You can search by name if there is someone specific you are looking for. Otherwise, you can also browse by using the three categories of users that exist on the site - Fighter, Survivor or Supporter. Refine your search by type of cancer, age, gender, location and by year of diagnosis. Connect with other users by sending them a request to be a part of our circle.

The red dots on the map indicate I Had Cancer users. When you click on the dot it tells you the number of Fighters, Survivors and Supporters in that area. Select which profile you would like to view from that menu.

You can share information, view each other’s full profiles and openly communicate with one another.        

The Dear Cancer section is for sending a message to cancer. Here you can say whatever you feel like saying to cancer and get it off your chest while also getting the support of the full community. To participate you will need to be registered. Go on give it a try.

You can view the discussions and topics on I Had Cancer at anytime. However, you can only post to the Discussions section after you register. You can begin by asking a new question or searching what others are saying.

The discussion that has sparks the maximum user activity is likely to be a trending topic.        

We will moderate discussions to prevent any negative, slandering or offensive comments. We will also moderate the discussions to ensure the absence of medical propaganda. Registration is required to participate but browsing is open to all.

Anyone who is on the site for the wrong reason will be banned from the site. A Report Abuse link is available from all profiles. If you see anything inappropriate please let us know.

It is up to you how much information you choose to share. You may share as much or as little information as you would like. A limited profile is open to all, but your full story/details, journal and events can only be seen by those in your circle.

You can ask your friends and family to sign up to the site as supporters.            

Currently we are not partnered or affiliated with any company. We aim to be very selective of who we partner with to allow maximum privacy and minimum disturbance for our users. If there are partnerships you think we should be associated with email us and we’ll look into it.