&NA;Two areas of importance to the delivery of health care which have received inadequate attention are the influence of social support on health outcomes and the social support characteristics of culturally diverse populations. The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire was used to determine the nature and perceived quality of social support of cancer patients living in Egypt. A sample of 40 hospitalized subjects were interviewed by a health care professional. The amount and sources of support for this sample are described and these findings are compared to the normative data reported previously for American employed adults. The mean age of the Egyptian cancer patients was 45 years, approximately 57% were female, and 90% of the subjects were married. The mean number of persons identified as providing social support was 14.78; the reported frequency of contact and duration of relationship of these network members suggest a stable support network. Family members/relatives was the category of persons providing the greatest proportion of support. The amount of functional support (affect, affirmation, and aid) reported suggests a relatively high perception of social support available to these Egyptian cancer patients, particularly when compared to the normative data reported for the United States sample of employed adults.