Vital Options International is a not-for-profit cancer communications, support, and advocacy organization with a mission, to facilitate a global cancer dialogue.Founded in 1983, Vital Options was the first psychosocial and advocacy organization for young adults with cancer, before expanding into an international cancer communications organization with the launch of The Group Room cancer talk radio show in 1996. Vital Options is noted for its pioneering and innovative approaches in using cutting edge technology to advocate and communicate about cancer through a variety of audio and video formats including The CancerNewsMinute, CancerTalk(SM), and CancerToursâ„¢. The Group Room is produced in association with Premiere Radio Networks and regularly broadcasts from leading US and European clinical meetings. Vital Options International is headquartered in Southern California, with its European division based in France, at the American Hospital of Paris, with radio production partners at Radio Marsden, Royal Mardsen Hospital, London, UK.The Group Room cancer talk radio show is a weekly call-in radio show where listeners can tune in live every Sunday from 1:00pm-3:00pm PT and 4:00pm-6:00pm ET .. stations across the United States, XM Satellite Radio, podcast, and online at www.vitaloptions.org, where all shows and feature interviews are archived for later listening. Callers participate in on-air discussions through the toll-free hotline at 800-477-7666 (foreign access numbers for international listeners are listed on the website), and are invited to e-mail their questions and comments to
[email protected] of the unique features of The Group Room is that anyone can access cancer support in the privacy of their home, automobile, or even a hospital. Individuals who do not have easy access to support, or want their anonymity, can reach out using only their telephone.The Vital Options website is listed in the Forbes "Best of The Web" directory at Forbes.com and has received the Editor's Choice Award from OncoLink, the award-winning cancer information resource on the World Wide Web at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Vitaloptions.org provides easy access for visitors to locate national and international cancer resources and organizations, information on clinical trials, cancer news, advocacy event calendars, professional oncology meetings, as well as a message board for patients and family members. For international visitors, Vital Options has translated its website into French (www.choixvital.org) and German (www.vitaloptions.org/de). VitalOptions.org also includes a section dedicated solely to young adults at www.youngadultswithcancer.org.
