Manta Cares and Cancer Support Community SF Bay Area Partner to Bring AI-Powered Cancer Support to Northern California Patients and Families

Partnership pairs Hope AI™, Manta Cares' AI partner built with patients and oncologists, with CSC SFBA's community programs so people in treatment can find personalized support at any hour

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. and SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Manta Cares, a San Francisco company that builds AI for people with cancer and their families, and Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area (CSC SFBA), which has offered free support to people affected by cancer since 1990, today announced a partnership to offer a new level of support for people with cancer across Northern California. CSC SFBA will bring Manta Cares and its cancer AI partner, Hope AI, to the patients and families it serves, and Manta Cares will help its members find and access CSC SFBA's support programs.

Many of the hardest parts of cancer aren't medical. People bring Hope AI the things they don't raise in the exam room, often late at night: feeling alone, insurance questions, getting to treatment, paying the bills. CSC SFBA meets those needs through support groups, counseling, nutrition, exercise, care navigation, financial assistance, and other programs, serving more than 2,200 people a year.

"This partnership with Manta Cares bridges the gap between the navigation and clinical care people receive within the health care system and the support they need beyond it," said Patricia Falconer, MBA, president of the board of directors at Cancer Support Community SF Bay Area and a board member of Cancer Support Community Global.

The new partnership works in two directions:

• Hope AI for CSC SFBA participants: CSC SFBA will introduce Hope AI to participants in its support groups and counseling, supportive care navigation, decision support and healthy lifestyle programs, giving them free, 24/7 access to Hope AI whenever needs arise outside of program attendance.
• CSC SFBA programs in Manta Cares: CSC SFBA programs will be listed in the Manta Cares resource library for users in Northern California, and the Cancer Support Community Helpline will be listed for Manta Cares users nationwide. When someone tells Hope AI they need emotional, financial or practical support, it draws on that library to suggest options that fit the needs of the specific user.

"AI in cancer care should make the hardest parts of treatment a little less burdensome," said Samira Daswani, founder and CEO of Manta Cares and a breast cancer survivor. "People tell Hope AI what they're really carrying, like concerns about making rent while they're out of work for treatment. Hope AI can listen and engage at any hour. Sometimes, these needs take real people. CSC SFBA has been that resource for Bay Area families for decades, and this partnership gets patients to them when AI alone can’t solve it.."

Manta Cares offers in-depth resources for breast and lung cancer, including Cancer Maps that lay out each phase of care, with more cancer types coming to the platform next year. This partnership launches as Breast Cancer Awareness Month ends and Lung Cancer Awareness Month begins. The American Cancer Society estimates 34,170 Californians will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 16,670 with lung cancer this year¹ making this partnership one that can serve the needs of tens of thousands of Californians.

"The challenges of cancer don't fit neatly inside a medical appointment. Cancer affects the whole person and the people who care for them," said Lucinda Bazile, MPH, CEO of Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area. "Partnering with Manta Cares lets us extend our experience and support to people with cancer and their care partners whenever they need it, day or night."

Both organizations' services are free. Manta Cares requires no insurance or medical documentation and is available on the web, iOS and Android. Patients and care partners in Northern California can join at mantacares.com/csc-sfba. CSC SFBA programs are offered in person, virtually and on demand in English and Spanish. Learn more at cancersupport.net or 925-933-0107.

About Manta Cares
Manta Cares is a San Francisco health technology company that uses AI to help people with cancer and their families understand where they are in treatment, what comes next and where to find support. Founded by a breast cancer survivor and designed with more than 100 medical professionals, patients and survivors, Manta Cares pairs its AI partner, Hope AI, with Cancer Maps, curated resources and human support. The company is backed by Pear VC, Sozo Ventures, 1843 Capital and strategic angels across oncology, health tech and patient advocacy. Learn more at www.mantacares.com.

The content provided by Manta Cares Inc., including Hope AI, is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

About Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area
Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area provides free, evidence-based emotional, social, and practical support programs for people impacted by cancer, including patients, survivors, families, and caregivers. Through counseling, support groups, nutrition, exercise, education, navigation, financial assistance, and other programs, offered in person, virtually, and on demand in English and Spanish, CSC SFBA helps people live with, through, and beyond cancer. Learn more at cancersupport.net.

¹ American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2026, estimated new cancer cases by state. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, 2026. cancer.org

Media contacts
Manta Cares: Amber Moore | amber@moorecom2.com | 503-943-9381
Cancer Support Community SF Bay Area: Janice Edwards | janice@thejaniceedwards.com | 415-261-2199