Our History

In 1987, Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr. and Dr. Steven Stroup formed The Cancer Education and Research Council, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to grant funds for cancer research. In 1992, Sarah Cannon, also known as comedienne “Minnie Pearl,” offered her stage name to the organization after being successfully treated for breast cancer—and The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation (MPCF) was born.

In July 2001, MPCF shifted gears as a nonprofit, moving from a granting organization to a service provider. We opened our doors, literally, to support adults impacted by cancer with direct services such as survivor retreats, life coaching, and nutrition consultations.

In 2013, we got a new name and a new look as PearlPoint Cancer Support. Building on our experience and expertise, as well as on Minnie Pearl’s legacy of warmth and compassion, we began to use technology to expand our reach beyond our long-standing home base of Nashville, TN. Through telephonic services and a robust collection of online educational materials, we truly began providing assistance to patients and caregivers anytime, anywhere.

In 2017, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) acquired PearlPoint. With the support and guidance of LLS, PearlPoint continues to offer free nutrition education and consultations to patients and caregivers of all cancer types, regardless of treatment center or location. LLS is the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated to fighting blood cancers. LLS recognizes the important role nutrition plays in improving quality of life for cancer patients and is proud to continue PearlPoint Nutrition Services.

Our Services

Personalized Nutrition Consultations with a Registered Dietitian

PearlPoint offers free one-on-one nutrition consultations. A registered dietitian with expertise in oncology nutrition can assist patients and caregivers with healthy eating strategies, side effect management, and survivorship nutrition as well as provide additional nutrition resources. Consults are available by phone or email.

To schedule a consult, use our virtual form or call 877-467-1936 X 101.

Learn more about our nutrition consultations here.

If you are a healthcare professional, you can also refer your patients to our services by using the virtual form. Visit our healthcare professional’s page to learn more about referring to PearlPoint.

Schedule Your Dietitian Consultation

Nutrition Education Resources

For patients and caregivers to find answers to their nutrition and cancer questions anytime, PearlPoint provides online articles, blog posts, videos, and other resources. Our resources are easy-to-understand and reviewed by healthcare professionals.

On pearlpoint.org you can find:

  • Nutrition information by diagnosis
  • Side effect management tips
  • Food preparation and safety guidelines
  • Caregiver resources
  • Survivorship resources
  • Healthy recipes 

Do you have a blood cancer diagnosis?

Contact The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Information Specialists for one-on-one support and join the online patient community to stay informed.

PearlPoint provides:

  • personalized nutrition consultations with a registered dietitian 
  • practical, educational articles on nutrition and cancer
  • side effect management tips
  • caregiver and survivorship resources
  • healthy, delicious recipes