pmppals.net

PMP Pals maintains a curated global map of appendix cancer specialists, oncology surgeons, and hospitals that treat Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP), appendiceal cancer, and its subtypes—including signet ring, goblet cell, and HAMN. It is a starting point for identifying specialized providers, not a referral or endorsement: you should confirm each surgeon's current credentials, case volume, and insurance participation directly with the listed practice before making treatment decisions.

What the resource covers

The map is part of PMP Pals, which describes itself as the world's oldest volunteer-run, peer-to-peer support community for patients and caregivers living with appendix cancer and related peritoneal surface malignancies. The surgeon directory reflects that same focus on rare disease:

• Geography: a global map rather than a single-country list, so patients can look beyond their immediate region.
• Provider types: oncology surgeons and hospitals, not general oncologists or primary care.
• Conditions covered: PMP, appendiceal cancer, and the four subtypes named on the site (signet ring, goblet cell, HAMN, and one additional subtype).
• Purpose: help patients and caregivers identify providers who specialize in these conditions, which matters because rare peritoneal cancers are often treated at high-volume centers.

How to use it

1. Open the Find a Surgeon section on pmppals.net from the main navigation.
2. Scan the map for specialists and hospitals in your region or in a location you are willing to travel to.
3. Shortlist two or three providers rather than one, since treatment approaches for PMP and appendiceal cancer can differ between centers.
4. Verify before contacting: confirm the surgeon still treats these conditions, what the hospital's peritoneal malignancy program includes, and whether your insurance is accepted. The site does not publish these details per listing.
5. Cross-check with your care team and, if useful, with the peer community through PMP Pals' other programs, such as the free twice-weekly Hope Zoom support calls, where patients and caregivers compare experiences.

What it does not do

The directory is a navigation aid. It does not rank surgeons, publish outcomes, confirm availability, or substitute for a clinical referral. Listings can also go stale, so a provider shown on the map may have moved or changed scope. Treat every entry as a lead to verify.

When this resource fits—and when it doesn't

For patients facing a rare diagnosis, the practical value is narrowing a wide search to providers who actually treat these conditions—then doing the verification work that no directory can do for you.

PMP Pals and the ACPMP Research Foundation are two separate organizations that serve the same appendix cancer community and collaborate publicly on awareness, education, and research updates. Their relationship is best described by the phrase they use together: "One Community. Two Organizations. One Mission." The clearest documented example is a joint Appendix Cancer Awareness Month event recorded live on Monday, August 3, 2026, which brought together patients, caregivers, physicians, researchers, and advocates from around the world.

Two Organizations, Distinct Roles

PMP Pals describes itself as the world's oldest global, volunteer-run, peer-to-peer support community for patients and caregivers living with appendix cancer, Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP), and related peritoneal surface malignancies. Its focus is emotional resilience and direct patient-to-patient connection through programs such as Hope Zoom support calls and a curated global map of appendix cancer specialists.

The ACPMP Research Foundation is presented in the same materials as a partner organization with its own leadership and medical advisory structure. The joint event describes both groups sharing updates on "new programs, research initiatives, patient resources, advocacy efforts, and what lies ahead." The source material does not detail ACPMP's internal programs beyond its research foundation role, so treat its scope as research-oriented rather than assume it mirrors PMP Pals' support services.

How the Collaboration Shows Up

The relationship is visible in three concrete ways:

• Joint public events. The August 2026 awareness event was co-hosted and featured speakers from both organizations, including patients, clinicians, and researchers.
• Parallel medical leadership. Each organization has its own Medical Advisory Board, and both chairs appeared at the event: Jula Veerapong, MD (UC San Diego Health), chair of the PMP Pals Medical Advisory Board, and Laura Lambert, MD (NYU Langone Health), chair of the ACPMP Research Foundation Medical Advisory Board.
• Shared messaging. The "One Community. Two Organizations. One Mission." framing signals coordinated rather than merged operations.

What This Means If You Are Looking for Help

If you are newly diagnosed, a long-time survivor, a caregiver, or a clinician, the practical takeaway is that the two organizations are complementary entry points rather than competitors. Start with PMP Pals if you want direct peer support, such as its free twice-weekly Hope Zoom calls or its specialist map. Look to joint materials and ACPMP for research and advocacy updates. Because the source does not describe any formal governance link, merger, or shared funding between the two, do not assume that contacting one automatically connects you to the other; use each organization's own channels.

The recorded awareness event is available to watch on YouTube and is a reasonable starting point for understanding how the two groups divide and share their work.

PMP Pals (pmppals.net) is a volunteer-run, peer-to-peer support community for patients and caregivers living with appendix cancer, Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP), and related peritoneal surface malignancies. The site describes itself as the world's oldest global support community for this rare disease. It is built for people who want direct, personal contact with others facing the same diagnosis—not a general cancer information portal.

Who the site is for

The community explicitly names its audience: patients, caregivers, and others affected by appendix cancer and peritoneal surface conditions. The site also addresses physicians, researchers, and advocates, particularly around its awareness and research programming. If you are newly diagnosed, a long-time survivor, or supporting someone with PMP or appendix cancer, the resources are organized around that experience.

What PMP Pals actually offers

The site's services fall into three practical areas.

HOPE ZOOM support calls

HOPE ZOOM is described as free, live video support group calls held twice a week. The format is peer-to-peer roundtable discussion, facilitated by PMP Pals volunteers, and accessible online. The stated purpose is building emotional resilience by listening, sharing, and connecting. Registration is required through the site.

This is the most direct service: a recurring, scheduled way to talk with people who understand the diagnosis. It suits people who want conversation and community rather than written information.

Find a Surgeon directory

PMP Pals curates a global map of appendix cancer specialists, oncology surgeons, and hospitals that treat PMP, appendiceal cancer, and its subtypes (the site lists signet ring, goblet cell, and HAMN among them). This is a referral-style resource—useful when the question is "who treats this near me or somewhere I can travel," not a substitute for a clinical recommendation.

Blog and event programming

The site maintains a PALS Blog and posts recordings from major events. One example is a recorded Appendix Cancer Awareness Month program featuring physicians from UC San Diego Health and NYU Langone Health, along with the presidents of PMP Pals and the ACPMP Research Foundation. The session covered new programs, research initiatives, patient resources, and advocacy, and was made available on YouTube. For patients who want to follow research developments without attending in person, these recordings are a low-effort entry point.

How the pieces fit together

What to expect and what not to

PMP Pals presents itself as a support and information community, not a medical provider. The surgeon map helps you identify specialists, but treatment decisions belong with your care team. The HOPE ZOOM calls are peer-facilitated, so treat them as shared experience rather than clinical advice.

The site lists Stripe among its payment platforms, which suggests it accepts donations or payments somewhere on the site; the available material does not specify costs for any service, and HOPE ZOOM is the only offering explicitly labeled free. Check the relevant page before assuming anything else is free or requires payment.

A reasonable first step

If you are newly diagnosed with appendix cancer or PMP, start with the "We Have Hope for You" page to understand the community's scope, then register for a HOPE ZOOM call to hear how others navigate the disease. Use Find a Surgeon when you are ready to discuss treatment options, and check the blog or event recordings if you want to track research and advocacy.

Hope Zoom is PMP Pals' free, live video peer-to-peer support roundtable for patients and caregivers facing appendix cancer and related peritoneal surface conditions such as Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP). The calls are held twice weekly, are facilitated by PMP Pals volunteers, and are accessed online after you register for Hope Zoom. It is a support and connection program, not a medical consultation, so anyone seeking treatment advice should use it alongside—not instead of—their care team.

What Hope Zoom Is

PMP Pals describes Hope Zoom as part of its Programs & Services, built to help patients and caregivers "build emotional resilience" by listening, sharing, and connecting with others who understand the rare disease experience. The format is a roundtable discussion rather than a lecture: volunteers facilitate, and participants are invited to listen or share as they feel comfortable.

Key features, as stated on the site:

• Cost: Free.
• Format: Live video support group calls, accessed online.
• Frequency: Twice weekly.
• Facilitators: PMP Pals volunteers.
• Audience: Patients and caregivers facing appendix cancer and related peritoneal surface conditions like PMP.

Who It Is For

Hope Zoom is open to the same community PMP Pals serves broadly: patients and caregivers living with appendix cancer, PMP, and related peritoneal surface malignancies. PMP Pals describes itself as the world's oldest global, volunteer-run, peer-to-peer support community for this population, and its programs are designed for people at any stage—newly diagnosed, long-term survivors, caregivers, and others affected by the disease.

If you are a healthcare professional, researcher, or advocate rather than a patient or caregiver, the site's other offerings (such as recorded events and blog content) may be a better fit than the support roundtable itself.

How to Join

1. Go to the PMP Pals website at pmppals.net.
2. Find the Hope Zoom section on the homepage and select the registration option ("Register for Hope Zoom").
3. Complete registration to receive access details for the live video calls.
4. Join a scheduled call online at one of the twice-weekly times and participate by listening, sharing, or both.

The site does not publish the specific days or times of the twice-weekly calls in the available material, so the registration step is the reliable way to get the current schedule and access link.

What to Expect and Practical Tips

• It is peer support, not clinical care. Volunteers facilitate; the value comes from shared experience. Bring treatment questions to your own physicians.
• Listening is participation. If you are newly diagnosed or uncomfortable speaking, joining just to hear others is consistent with how the roundtable is described.
• Caregivers are explicitly included. Family members and care partners can join on the same basis as patients.
• Check the schedule at registration. Because call times are not listed publicly, confirm them when you sign up rather than assuming a fixed slot.

Beyond Hope Zoom

PMP Pals pairs Hope Zoom with other resources that may be useful before or after you join a call:

For anyone weighing whether to try Hope Zoom, the deciding factors are simple: it costs nothing, it is online, and it connects you directly with other patients and caregivers dealing with the same rare diagnosis. If that kind of peer connection is what you are missing, registering for a call is the next step.

PMP Pals uses its blog and event coverage to keep patients, caregivers, and clinicians current on appendix cancer and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) community news, research developments, and advocacy work. The site's event content centers on recorded programs and conference participation, such as the organization's presence at SSO Advanced Cancer Therapies 2025 and a recorded Appendix Cancer Awareness Month broadcast. This coverage is informational: it reports on programs, research initiatives, and resources rather than offering clinical advice.

What the Blog and Event Coverage Include

The site's headings point to a dedicated PALS BLOG alongside event features. Based on the page's own description of its programming, visitors can expect coverage in these areas:

• Community news and organizational updates — new programs and services from PMP Pals and partner organizations.
• Research initiatives — developments in appendix cancer research, presented by physicians and researchers.
• Patient resources — information on tools such as the global specialist map and peer support calls.
• Advocacy efforts — how the community and partner organizations are working to support patients and caregivers.
• Conference coverage — PMP Pals' participation in professional meetings, including SSO Advanced Cancer Therapies 2025.

Recorded Awareness-Month Program

One concrete example of the event content is a recorded Appendix Cancer Awareness Month program, described on the site as recorded live on Monday, August 3, 2026. It brought together patients, caregivers, physicians, researchers, and advocates from around the world to reflect on progress and look ahead.

The program features:

The session covers updates on new programs, research initiatives, patient resources, and advocacy from both organizations, and is available to watch on YouTube. The site frames it for a broad audience — newly diagnosed patients, long-time survivors, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates — under the theme "ONE COMMUNITY. TWO ORGANIZATIONS. ONE MISSION."

How to Use This Content

• If you are newly diagnosed or a caregiver, start with the recorded awareness-month program for a plain-language overview of the landscape, then use the blog for ongoing updates.
• If you are tracking research, the conference coverage and physician-led segments are the most relevant; note that these are summaries of presentations, not primary research papers.
• If you want direct support, the blog and event pages sit alongside PMP Pals' core services — the free, twice-weekly HOPE ZOOM peer support calls (registration required) and the curated global map of appendix cancer specialists — so event coverage is a complement to, not a substitute for, those resources.

Because PMP Pals is a volunteer-run peer support community, its blog and event content reflects community and organizational perspectives. For treatment decisions, confirm details with a qualified specialist, such as those listed through the Find a Surgeon resource.