The web Directory of Information Materials for People Affected by Cancer is regularly updated and currently has details of over 1,900 booklets, leaflets, books and audiovisual materials for people affected by cancer. Most have been published in the last five years but we have included some older ones that are still useful.
Findhorn Press
A compassionate, practical guide to end-of-life matters, empowering us to clarify and share our wishes and continue to live life to the fullest. Many people say “I wish I had known what they wanted” when their loved one has died. Too often, a person’s wishes for end-of-life care, and for after they have gone, have not been recorded. With this valuable guide, you can now begin to do this for yourself, so your relatives will be able to honor your wishes more easily, saving them unnecessary stress and upset at a potentially intense time. Before I Go addresses the emotional, spiritual, and practical aspects of end-of-life planning to help you make well-informed decisions about your end-of-life care and prepare well for your death. Jane Duncan Rogers guides you with equanimity, care, and humor through subjects such as how to have a conversation about dying, the impact of grief on relatives responsible for estate matters, DIY funerals and what that entails. She states clearly what you need to have in place to ensure the best end of life possible, helps you identify your values and beliefs in this area, and demonstrates which actions you then need to take, and when. With a full resource pack of essential information available to you, including guiding questions, exercises, and recording tools, as well as downloadable worksheets and supportive online courses, decision-making will be much easier and you will find relief and peace of mind knowing you have taken care of outstanding matters. You will also be giving a great gift to your loved ones. When they have this information in advance, you spare them many difficult decisions and administrative hassle at a time when they will be grieving and not in a fit state to cope. It can bring great comfort to those left behind to know they are indeed carrying out your wishes. It also provides an opportunity for you to record your achievements and history, giving them a legacy they would otherwise not have. (Publisher)
SPCK Publishing
London-born Kate Bowler, a thirty-five year-old professor at the school of divinity at Duke, had finally had a baby with her childhood sweetheart when she began to feel jabbing pains in her stomach. She lost thirty pounds, guzzled antacid, and visited doctors for three months before she was finally diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. As Kate navigates the aftermath of her diagnosis, she pulls the reader into her life and her history - affectionately filled with a colourful retinue of friends, mega-church preachers, parents, and doctors - and shares her irreverent, laser-sharp reflections on faith, friendship, love, and death. She wonders why suffering makes her feel like a loser and explores the burden of positivity. Trying to relish the time she still has with her son and husband, she realizes she must cure her habit of 'skipping to the end' and planning the next move. An historian of the American Prosperity Gospel (the creed of the megachurches that promises believers a cure for tragedy, if they just want it badly enough) Kate finds that she craves these same 'outrageous certainties'. Why is it so hard to surrender when she knows there are no spiritual guarantees? (Publisher)
Atria Books (Simon and Schuster)
In this evocative and gorgeously wrought memoir reminiscent of Rob Sheffield’s Love Is a Mixtape and George Hodgman’s Bettyville, Michael Ausiello—a respected TV columnist and founder and editor-in-chief of TVLine.com—remembers his late husband, and the lessons, love, and laughter that they shared throughout their fourteen years together. For the past decade, TV fans of all stripes have counted upon Michael Ausiello’s insider knowledge to get the scoop on their favorite shows and stars. From his time at Soaps in Depth to his influential stints at TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly to his current role as founder and editor-in-chief of the wildly popular website TVLine.com, Michael has established himself as the go-to expert when it comes to our most popular form of entertainment. What many of his fans don’t know, however, is that while his professional life was in full swing, Michael had to endure the greatest of personal tragedies: his husband, Kit Cowan, was diagnosed with a rare and very aggressive form of neuroendocrine cancer. Over the course of eleven months, Kit and Michael did their best to combat the deadly disease, but Kit succumbed to his illness in February 2015. In this heartbreaking and darkly hilarious memoir, Michael tells the story of his harrowing and challenging last year with Kit while revisiting the thirteen years that preceded it, and how the undeniably powerful bond between him and Kit carried them through all manner of difficulty—always with laughter front and center in their relationship. Instead of a tale of sadness and loss, Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies is an unforgettable, inspiring, and beautiful testament to the resilience and strength of true love. (Publisher)
Short Books
"Cancer is not a laughing matter, as I was told by a cross German lady from Dortmund when I showed her this journal. She had herself had breast cancer and is right of course; there are lots of things that are not fun about cancer, most of them unavoidable. I was therefore as surprised as the next person to realise that a huge amount of funny things happen on the way to chemo, or indeed on the way to most places, and that once you get your eye in, you completely forget to be scared..." This is not just an educational book about cancer, although it is certainly safe to give to cancer patients as a cheerful present. More importantly, it sheds new light on why Kim Kardashian is worth Keeping Up With, what playlists to make for MRI scans, the truth behind the legend of Medea, bikini etiquette on a deserted beach, what to do with a glut of rainbow chard, what an Oscar-winner should say in an acceptance speech, how to deal with cold-callers selling life insurance, and what to wear on a March Against Menopause (layers, obviously)... (Publisher)
Virago Press (Little, Brown Book Group)
Coming up to her sixtieth birthday, Kate Figes found herself turning to the larger questions of family, love and life's meaning. It is like this author to examine different stages in writing, and her books - from new motherhood and adolescence to coupledom and infidelity - testify to this way of understanding herself and others: so naturally she turned to writing to explore the challenges of becoming sixty. And then - a horrible, and sudden diagnosis of breast cancer which had metastasised. Instead of a gentle journey into middle age, Kate Figes began to write for her life. Now, clawing back confidence and control was not just the ordinary business of these years: it was the only way to try and survive great pain and emotional turmoil. As her writing became an honest reflection on ageing, failing, regrets and the importance of childhood memory, friends, family and love she found a new determination to live to the full and about finding ways to face up to a shortened life expectancy with dignity. Original, passionate, funny and moving, On Smaller Dogs and Larger Life Questions will resonate with anyone dealing with the many griefs and freedoms of midlife. It is about living with a life-threatening disease but it is even more: an intelligent and passionate look at the way we can approach disappointment and trouble, friendship and love - every day. (Publisher)
Quercus
A moving, thought-provoking and surprisingly humorous book which is both a description of a journey to death and a celebration of the act of living. Based on Clare Wise's blog, which she started when she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2013, Not That Kind of Love charts the highs and lows of the last three years of Clare's life. The end result is not a book that fills you with despair and anguish. On the contrary, Not That Kind of Love should be read by everybody for its candour, and for its warmth and spirit. Clare is an astonishingly dynamic, witty and fun personality, and her positivity and energy exude from every page. As she becomes too weak to type, her brother - the actor Greg Wise - takes over, and the book morphs into a beautiful meditation on life, and the necessity of talking about death. With echoes of Atul Gawande's Being Mortal and Cathy Rentzenbrink's The Last Act of Love, it is a very special read that rejoices in the extraordinary and often underestimated sibling bond, and the importance of making the most of the ordinary pleasures life has to offer. As Greg Wise writes in the book: 'Celebrate the small things, the small moments. If you find yourself with matching socks as you leave the house in the morning, that is a cause for celebration. If the rest of the day is spent finding the cure for cancer, or brokering world peace, then that's a bonus.' (Publisher)
Square Peg (Vintage)
This is a singular memoir: an excavation of mother love, a candid account of the agonies, and absurdities, of the cancer experience, and a doggedly optimistic paean to life. When Genevieve Fox finds a lump in her throat, she turns up for the hospital diagnosis in a party frock and fancy hair. I can’t have cancer, she thinks. I’ve done my hair. But there is another reason she can’t countenance cancer. Genevieve was orphaned to it at the age of nine. Genevieve’s story weaves together past and present as she recalls her rackety, unconventional childhood, while also facing the spectre of being lost to her young boys. Yet, she confronts her treatment with the same sassy survival instinct that characterised her childhood misadventures. Through an extraordinary alchemy, Genevieve takes life’s precariousness and turns it on its head. (Publisher)
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Drawing on her family's own experiences and those of other parents facing the death of a child from illness or a life-limiting condition, Sacha Langton-Gilks explains the challenges, planning, and conversations that can be expected during this traumatic period. Practical advice such as how to work with the healthcare professionals, drawing up an Advance Care Plan, and how to move care into the home sit alongside tender observations of how such things worked in her own family's story. The book also includes a template person-centred planning document, developed by experts in the field. Empowering and reassuring, this book will help families plan and ensure the best possible end-of-life care for a child or young person. (Publisher)
Macmillan Cancer Support
This booklet is for women who are having, or are going to have, radiotherapy to the pelvic area. The pelvic area is the lower part of the tummy (abdomen), between the hips. The booklet explains: side effects that may happen during, or shortly after, pelvic radiotherapy; how side effects can be controlled or reduced; what you can do to help yourself.
Macmillan Cancer Support
The new Macmillan Organiser includes a copy of The cancer guide and My records for recording key contacts, appointments, medication and symptoms. There is also space for keeping appointment letters or other information resources. Additional copies of the My Records booklet can be ordered separately.
Macmillan Cancer Support
A booklet for men who have had radiotherapy to the pelvic area and who are experiencing late effects. It explains what pelvic radiotherapy is before describing the following late effects and how to manage them: bladder changes; bowel changes; lymphoedema; bone changes; sex life; and fertility. It also discusses feelings, relationships, and work, and has details of further support.
The Royal Marsden NHS Trust
This booklet uses a question and answer format to help people with cancer decide whether to participate in a clinical trial of cancer treatment. It includes sources of further information and support.
Self-published
They say there’s a book in all of us, but I doubt I would ever have written one had it not have been for my diagnosis of breast cancer in 2011. ‘A New Kind of Normal' is the story of my life up to and moving on from that moment. Growing up in the 60's, working through the 70's and 80's, juggling a career in TV and radio while bringing up three children and surviving two divorces. From the moment I knew what a bra was, I’d wanted breasts: I even crafted a pair of blue plasticine boobs for myself, as nature made me wait until I was 15 for breasts of my own! Through cancer I lost them both, and with the chemotherapy; all my hair, my fingernails, and more worryingly, a sense of whom I was. My hair grew back, as did my fingernails, but I still struggled with my identity. What I’ve written isn't a diary, nor a self-help guide, and it's not just about cancer. I’ve taken a really good look at the little girl I was and the woman I grew into, and why I went to such lengths to try and claw back some of what cancer had taken from me - it's not everyone's way I appreciate, and it’s been an interesting exercise trying to ascertain why it was mine! I’ve been honest, open, and meticulous when it comes to detail, as I firmly believe that if you take away the mystery, you can take away some of the fear. But there’s a lot to laugh about here too, as luckily I’ve always been able to see the funny side of a situation, preferring that to the occasional overwhelming despair I felt. In this book I've tried to move the disease away from the medical professionals and the hospitals, and to bring it into the day to day, because that's where it sits. Over the last seven years I’ve come to realise that the ripple effect of cancer is far reaching, affecting not just those of us living with it but everyone around us. 'A New Kind of Normal' gives an insight into my relationship with my then partner, now husband; my children and their reaction to my illness, my family and friends, my work colleagues, people who wrote to me, and the professionals who cared for me; everybody reacts differently. Breast cancer assaults your femininity - the treatment is tough and the surgery brutal. It isn't easy, but it is possible, and I'd like to feel this book may be a source of comfort to anyone who's life is touched by breast cancer; maybe even help them to find their 'New Kind of Normal'. There are many things in life we may have to give up on, but hope is not one of them. (P
Olop and Flossie Publishing
What does the mother say to her six-year-old when she asks the question that no mother ever wants to be asked? How does the fourteen-year-old cope with the illness while struggling with the typical angst of a teenager? This book is about an ordinary family who is faced with extra-ordinary changes and challenges when the mother is diagnosed with a potentially life-limiting illness. IT (the illness) becomes the uninvited guest in the family and as the story develops the frustrations, anxieties and impact all become very real. (Publisher)
Books Beyond Words
Going to the doctor can be worrying. For people with a learning disability, there may be the added worry of not being able to explain what’s wrong, as well as not understanding what’s happening. This book shows Jim, Anne and Laura who visit their General Practice for different reasons. The stories look at the ways the doctor and nurse listen to each of them, asking questions, explaining what will happen next and checking their understanding so that they can give informed consent. Many of the scenarios shown in the book form part of the annual health check. They also show how to involve the supporter appropriately. This book can be used to help someone get ready to visit the doctor, as a reasonable adjustment during the consultation, and for wider health promotion work. (Publisher)
British Lung Foundation
This information is for people with a long-term lung condition who are coming to the end of their life. It is also for those who are close to them, including their carers, family and friends.
Bone Cancer Research Trust
This factsheet describes primary bone caner, the types, who it affects, symptoms, causes and risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, and rehabitation and support.
Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust
Credit-card leaflet with facts about cervical cancer, including incidence, the symptoms to look out for, how to reduce the risk, and cervical screening.
University College London Hospital Cancer Collaborative|FruitFly Collective
A short film produced with the Fruit Fly Collective to support parents when they decide to tell their children about their cancer diagnosis. It provides guidance about how and when to tell them, and looks at different age groups and how they may feel and behave when they have been told.
Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust
This booklet describes what cervical cancer is, the symptoms, causes, the different types and (briefly) the treatment options.
Prostate Scotland
This booklet is to help you, your partner and your family understand more about treating your prostate cancer with hormone therapy. It explains what it is, the different types of hormone therapy, how it might be prescribed and some of the potential side-effects.
The Oesophageal Patients Association
A guide to the patient pathway following diagnosis of oesophageal or stomach cancer. It is based on the pathway at St Thomas’ Hospital in London but treatment is standardised across the UK.
Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust
A guide for women who have recently been diagnosed with cervical cancer, and those who care about them.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This audiobook explains rectal cancer, covering causes and symptoms, diagnosis, staging and grading, treatments and clinical trials. It also looks at emotional, practical and financial issues.
Cancer Focus Northern Ireland
Information to help you to lower your risk of cancer and improve your health.
Prostate Scotland
This booklet is to help you, your partner and your family understand more about treating your prostate cancer with chemotherapy. It explains what it is, the different types of chemotherapy, how it might be prescribed and some of the potential side-effects.
PCaSO Prostate Cancer Support Network
Leaflet about prostate cancer, including symptoms and brief information about treatment options..
Pancreatic Cancer UK
Tips to help people talk to their GP.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Prostate Cancer UK
This factsheet describes how prostate cancer and its treatment can affect sexuality and fertility. It covers the available treatments for erectile dysfunction and sources of help and support.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Prostate Cancer UK
Prostate cancer and its treatment can be a cause of urinary problems. This factsheet describes how different treatments cause these problems and ways to manage them. It includes information on pelvic floor exercises and continence products as well as surgical treatments.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about bowel cancer and its treatment. It includes the English-language version.
Action Cancer
Z-card with facts about cervical and ovarian cancer, including symptoms and risk factors, diagnosis, the smear test, HPV vaccine and ways to lower your risk of getting cervical cancer.
Orchid – Fighting Male Cancer
This leaflet has information on prostate, testicular and penile cancer - from signs and symptoms, risk factors and causes through to tests to determine a diagnosis and treatment options.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is about some of the side effects of cancer treatment.
Action Cancer
Z-card with facts about bowel cancer (what it is, risk factors, symptoms, reducing the risk and screening) and lung cancer (what it is, risk factors, what to look out for, how to reduce the risk and stopping smoking).
Pancreatic Cancer UK
This fact sheet is for people with pancreatic who have fatigue. It explains what fatigue is, what causes it, how it can be managed, and the support available.
Action Cancer
Z-card with facts about prostate cancer (what is the prostate, the symptoms of prostate cancer) and testicular cancer (what it is, the causes, how to examine the testicles, what to do of a change is noticed).
The Eve Appeal
Key information about womb cancer including signs and symptoms, risk factors and how to reduce your risk of developing cancer.
The Eve Appeal
Key information about vaginal cancer including signs and symptoms, risk factors and how to reduce your risk of developing cancer.
The Eve Appeal
Key information about ovarian cancer including signs and symptoms, risk factors and how to reduce your risk of developing cancer.
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