In 1992 the Cancer Support Community (CSC) founded the Latino Outreach Project, the Bay Area's first Spanish-language program created to provide culturally competent psychosocial support, cancer information and advocacy services to Latinas diagnosed with cancer. In 1995, Dr. Carmen Ortiz, an experienced psychologist and breast cancer survivor, took over the project and support group, and members renamed the program Círculo de Vida (Circle of Life). Dr. Ortiz increased outreach within the community and tripled the number of participants in one year. Because these were the only ongoing Spanish-language support groups in the San Francisco Bay Area, women from Oakland, San José, San Rafael, and Daly City often made the long trip into San Francisco to attend.

In 1998, after CSC integrated its services with UCSF, Círculo de Vida stayed behind to remain connected to the Latino community in the Mission District and began laying the groundwork to incorporate as a separate entity. With support from various organizations like San Francisco General Hospital and Instituto Familiar de la Raza, Dr. Ortiz was able to continue providing support for Latinas while applying for nonprofit status.

Dr. Ortiz's support group model has been the impetus for the development of other Spanish-language support groups in Union City, Pittsburg, San José, and Watsonville. Working in partnership with Debra Ballinger, an organizational and fund development consultant and former Executive Director of CSC, Dr. Ortiz served as a consultant for the Northern California Cancer Center's Latina Facilitator Training Program, and co-authored The Facilitator Training Manual with Ms. Ballinger, establishing effective support programs for Latinas with cancer in other communities.

The Círculo de Vida Cancer Support and Resource Center (CDV) was formally founded in 2000 to create a one-stop center for all Bay Area Latinos facing cancer and their families and received its own non-profit status in 2003.

In 2002, CDV opened age-appropriate support groups - modeled on the women's program - for children and young mothers. A men's program opened in 2003, a teen group opened in February of 2004, and CDV continues to increase its home and hospital visits and auxiliary support services. A permanent, independent location for the center opened in San Francisco's Mission District in 2004.

With community and foundation support, CDV will continue to evolve into a stronger and more vital program providing cancer support to Latinos around the Bay Area.