For the purpose of relieving stress caused by post operative change in diet due to gastric cancer, a cancer salon which included a cooking class collaborating with doctors, oncology certified nurse specialist, NST registered dietitian, cancer support center nurse, and cook was held. The cancer salon was intended for post gastrectomy patients and their families. There were total of 20 participants（12 patients, 8 families, 8 males and 12 females）, and among them were six couples. We conducted a questionnaire survey of cancer salon to participants whose average age was 64±13.4 years old. All participants responded“good”or“fair”in all items. Among respondents, 61％（n＝11）said it was fun, 88％.（n＝15）said“cooking in the cooking class would be helpful in the future”. Not only learning how to cook, the salon provided an opportunity for participants to interact with each other and exchange information. In addition it helped participants to realize that there are others having the same disease who want to exchange opinions and the disease is not a problem of an individual rather it exists more universally.

Nine cancer survivors who had experienced the suspension of cancer salon activities due to the Coronavirus Pandemic were interviewed about their desires for a cancer salon, and five categories were extracted. The following were identified: [I want a place where I can feel safe to be myself and exchange information] [Desire to have a medical professional with expertise stationed] [I want to meet other cancer survivors in person and feel their experiences close to me] [It is difficult to empathize and communicate with each other remotely, and it leaves me with a sense of inadequacy] [I want a place where I can make use of my cancer experience]. Even in a social situation where face-to-face interaction is difficult, we found that there is a desire to continue interaction with cancer survivors at cancer salons, not only for information gathering and chatting, but also because they feel it is worthwhile to live. It was suggested that it is important for cancer salon organizers to devise ways to continue cancer salons without suspending them, such as infection control measures and holding them remotely, so that participants can freely interact and empathize with each other.

Nine cancer survivors who had experienced the suspension of cancer salon activities due to the Coronavirus Pandemic were interviewed about their desires for a cancer salon, and five categories were extracted. The following were identified: [I want a place where I can feel safe to be myself and exchange information] [Desire to have a medical professional with expertise stationed] [I want to meet other cancer survivors in person and feel their experiences close to me] [It is difficult to empathize and communicate with each other remotely, and it leaves me with a sense of inadequacy] [I want a place where I can make use of my cancer experience]. Even in a social situation where face-to-face interaction is difficult, we found that there is a desire to continue interaction with cancer survivors at cancer salons, not only for information gathering and chatting, but also because they feel it is worthwhile to live. It was suggested that it is important for cancer salon organizers to devise ways to continue cancer salons without suspending them, such as infection control measures and holding them remotely, so that participants can freely interact and empathize with each other.