helpline

In Spain, the Spanish Association Against Cancer answers 900 100 036 free of charge at any hour, every day of the week.

In Italy, call the cancer patients' association AIMaC on 06 42989570 on weekdays from 9am to 7pm for information about the illness, treatment, side effects and your rights at work.

The American Cancer Society answers 1-800-227-2345 every hour of every day, free, and can connect callers to its free rides and lodging programmes.

Breast Cancer Now's nurses answer 0808 800 6000 free, and the charity runs free courses and peer support for people finishing breast cancer treatment in the UK.

Every designated cancer hospital in Japan has a cancer consultation support centre where anyone, including people who are not its patients, can talk to a nurse or social worker for free and without giving their name.

In Northern Ireland, call the Cancer Focus nurse line free on 0800 783 3339 on Monday, Wednesday or Friday morning.

Anyone in New Zealand can call 0800 226 237 to talk about cancer with the Cancer Society, or email one of its information nurses.

In Japan you can phone the National Cancer Center's support line on 03-6706-7797 or 0570-02-3410 on weekdays, or chat online, to ask about treatment, money, work or where to get help near you.

Cancer Research UK's nurses answer questions on 0808 800 4040, free, on weekdays; the About Cancer pages and Cancer Chat forum are there the rest of the time.

In Finland, a nurse answers the Cancer Society's free helpline on 0800 19414 on weekdays, and a nurse chat runs on kaikkisyovasta.fi.

The Cancer Support Community runs a free helpline and dozens of local centres, including Gilda's Clubs, where anyone with cancer can join free groups and classes.

English speakers in France affected by cancer can call Cancer Support France free on 0800 240 200; a trained volunteer calls back within a day.

CancerCare's oncology social workers give free counselling and support groups by phone and online to anyone in the US affected by cancer.

In Belgium, call 0800 15 801 on a weekday between 9am and 6pm and a professional from the Foundation against Cancer will answer your questions about cancer.

In Sweden, call Cancerlinjen on 010-199 10 10 to talk about cancer free and anonymously, or chat online.

In South Africa, call CANSA toll-free on 0800 22 6622 to ask a question or book a counselling session, or text 072 197 9305 in English or Afrikaans.

In Estonia, the Cancer Society's free advice line answers on 800 2233 from a landline or 631 1727 from a mobile, on working days in the late morning and evening.

In Iceland, call 800 4040 for free advice and support from the Cancer Society's nurses, social workers and psychologists, in Icelandic, English, Polish or German.

In Germany, call INFONETZ KREBS free on 0800 80708877 on weekdays between 8am and 5pm for personal advice at any stage of cancer and help finding support near you.

The international group of cancer helplines and information services; its member list is a quick way to find the national cancer information line in your country.

In the Netherlands, the kanker.nl information line on 0800-0226622 listens, explains tests, treatments and side effects, and helps you sort out the questions to ask your doctor.

In Denmark, call or write to Kræftlinjen on 80 30 10 30; the Danish Cancer Society's help for patients and relatives is free.

In Germany, the DKFZ's Krebsinformationsdienst answers questions about cancer free on 0800 420 30 40, every day, staffed by doctors.

In Norway, call the Norwegian Cancer Society free on 21 49 49 21, chat online or book a call, with any question about cancer.

In the Czech Republic, call the League Against Cancer's advice line on 224 920 935 any day between 9am and 4pm and an experienced doctor will answer.

In France, the Ligue contre le cancer's free number 0 800 940 939 connects you to its support services for patients and families during and after treatment.

Macmillan's free line, 0808 808 00 00, puts you through to a nurse, a benefits adviser or a money adviser, seven days a week.

In Korea, call 1577-8899 on weekdays between 9am and 6pm to ask the National Cancer Information Center about cancer.

Call 1-800-4-CANCER and a trained NCI specialist answers your questions about any cancer, free, in English or Spanish.

In Slovakia, call the League Against Cancer's free line 0800 11 88 11 any day to talk to a doctor, psychologist, nutrition adviser or social and legal adviser.

Anyone in the UK affected by ovarian cancer can call Ovacome's support line on 0800 008 7054.

In Singapore, call the Singapore Cancer Society on 1800-727-3333 on weekdays between 9am and 5.30pm.