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.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
Easy read information using pictures and simple words to explain surgery to remove pancreatic cancer.
Macmillan Cancer Support
Audio CD of the booklet, which describes the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, stages, and treatment of breast cancer including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. It also discusses issues such as fertility, hormone replacement therapy, and feelings. Includes details of useful organisations and other resources such as books and websites.
Penny Brohn UK
General advice to help you eat well during chemotherapy and radiotherapy; the challenges can be similar but where the information is specific to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, this will be stated. There’s no one way of eating that’s right for everyone so the general advice in this booklet will need to be adapted to you and your situation. It’s not intended to replace any advice given to you by a member of your healthcare team.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
This booklet describes the different types of pain that pancreatic cancer can cause. It has information on how to describe pain to your medical team, and ways of keeping it under control, including painkillers.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
This factsheet is for people with pancreatic cancer who are having radiotherapy. It explains the different types of radiotherapy, how it is given and the side effects.
Prostate Cancer UK
This booklet is for men who are having hormone therapy. It describes the different types of hormone therapy, how they work and what the treatment involves. It also includes information about the possible side-effects and how to manage them.
Breast Cancer Care
Zoledronic acid is a drug that’s given to reduce the risk of breast cancer spreading to the bones and other parts of the body. This booklet explains what it is, who might be offered it and the side effects it can cause.
Breast Cancer Care
This booklet is about the bisphosphonate sodium clodronate given to reduce the risk of breast cancer spreading to the bones and other parts of the body. IIt explains what it is, who might be offered it and the side effects it can cause.
Prostate Cancer UK
This factsheet is for men with advanced prostate cancer who would like to know more about treatment with palliative radiotherapy. It explains who can have palliative radiotherapy, how it treats advanced prostate cancer and the advantages and disadvantages. It covers external beam radiotherapy and internal radiotherapy (radioisotopes), describing what the treatment involves and the side effects. It does not cover the treatment of localised or locally-advanced prostate cancer.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
This fact sheet is for people with pancreatic cancer who are having a stent or bypass surgery. These treatments help symptoms caused by the cancer blocking the bile duct or duodenum. Family members may also find it helpful. It describes what the treatments involve, possible side effects, how they can affect your diet, and recovering afterwards.
Target Ovarian Cancer|Colostomy UK
Our expert mini guide is for you if you have a stoma or may get one after ovarian cancer surgery. Based on the latest evidence and full of insights from people who understand what you're going through, this guide explores what a stoma is and does and offers practical tips for overcoming common concerns.
Guts UK
Information about bowel cancer, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, and secondary bowel cancer.
Prostate Cancer UK
A booklet for anyone close to a man affected by prostate cancer, whether partner, family member or friend. It discusses ways to support a man with prostate cancer, where to get further information and how to look after yourself.
Bowel Cancer UK
A5 leaflet outlining what bowel cancer is, who's at risk and what symptoms to look out for.
Penny Brohn UK
This information sheet aims to provide clearly sourced and reliable information to help you make informed choices about the range of complementary therapies on offer to support people with cancer. It covers acupuncture, healing, massage, reflexology, and shiatsu.
Prostate Cancer UK
This booklet is for men who have had treatment aimed at getting rid of their prostate cancer, such as surgery (radical prostatectomy), radiotherapy or brachytherapy. It describes the care and support men can expect after treatment.
Breast Cancer Care
This leaflet explains why exercise is necessary after breast surgery, when to start exercising, and how long to carry on. It opens out into a poster that demonstrates exercises for the days and weeks after surgery.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
This booklet is for family members of someone with pancreatic cancer. It includes information on managing symptoms and side effects, and accessing the right care and support.
Breast Cancer Care
This booklet describes radiotherapy for primary (early) breast cancer. It explains what radiotherapy is, why it might be needed, how it is given, what to expect, treatment planning, and the possible side-effects.
Macmillan Cancer Support
A list of cancer resources that have been translated into other languages.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
This fact sheet is for anyone who wants to know more about treating pancreatic cancer with chemotherapy. It explains how chemotherapy is given, and the different drugs that may be used. It also explains the main side effects of chemotherapy and how these can be managed and how to look after yourself and get support during chemotherapy..
Bowel Cancer UK
This booklet is for anyone diagnosed with bowel cancer and their family and friends. It gives an overview of what bowel cancer is, how it is treated, the common treatment side effects and what happens when treatment finishes.
Breast Cancer Care
This booklet explains what lymphoedema is, and describes the physical symptoms and the treatment options.
Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group
Being told your grandchild has cancer comes as a terrible shock. Most grandparents worry not only about their grandchild, but also about how their own son/daughter will cope. Many are also concerned about the effects a cancer diagnosis will have on other children within the family, how they can support their family and how, as grandparents, they themselves will cope. Sometimes, it is not as easy for grandparents to access information first hand and this can lead to feelings of isolation. This guide answers some of the many questions grandparents might have during diagnosis and treatment.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This factsheet is a translation of selected pages of the Macmillan booklet (MAC11688_E06_N)
Target Ovarian Cancer
When you have ovarian cancer you might find that your appetite (the amount you want to eat) and the types of food you want to eat are different from before. You might also be wondering if there is anything you can change about your diet (including eating or not eating specific foods) that might impact on how your cancer acts or how effective your treatment is. This booklet aims to give you an overview of the evidence for diet and nutrition in relation to ovarian cancer so that you can make choices that are right for you.
Bowel Cancer UK
The information in this booklet is for anyone who has had treatment for bowel cancer. It may also be helpful for family and friends. It describes follow-up care, possible side effects from treatment, and some of the feelings people might have after finishing treatment. It also explains how a healthy lifestyle can help and your rights are work.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
This factsheet is for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer who are having surgery to remove the cancer. Family members may also find it helpful. We describe the different types of surgery to remove pancreatic cancer, how to prepare for your operation, what to expect, and recovery afterwards. This factsheet does not cover surgery for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNETs).
Bowel Cancer UK
This booklet has information about how food can affect your symptoms during and after bowel cancer treatment. After treatment, you may find you can’t eat the same foods as you did before. These changes may be temporary or they may be longer-lasting.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
Easy read information using pictures and simple words to explain how symptoms like diet problems and pain are treated, and how you can get support.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
Easy read information using pictures and simple words to explain treatments if you can’t have surgery, including chemotherapy and stents.
Macmillan Cancer Support
A translation of selected pages from the Macmillan Cancer Support booklet “Talking to children and teenagers when an adult has cancer” (MAC5766_E04_N) into Gujarati. Includes why tell children, telling your children, explaining cancer and ways of talking to different age groups.
Macmillan Cancer Support
A translation of selected pages from the Macmillan Cancer Support booklet “Talking to children and teenagers when an adult has cancer” (MAC5766_E04_N) into Urdu. Includes the benefits of talking, how to talk, and information for specific age groups: babies and toddlers; younger children; older children; and teenagers.
Prostate Cancer UK
This booklet is for men who have been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. It describes the prostate, how prostate cancer is diagnosed, what the test results mean, the treatment options, and the support available. It has space to record contact details and other information that may be useful, such as appointment times and PSA levels.
Pancreatic Cancer UK
Easy read information using pictures and simple words to explain what pancreatic cancer is and how it is diagnosed.
Penny Brohn UK
This booklet aims to address some of the common difficulties that people may experience with eating during cancer treatment. It has advice and tips to help cope with the common effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and hormonal therapy, such as oral thrush, sore or dry mouth, swallowing difficulties, taste changes, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, and tenesmus.
Breast Cancer Now
This booklet is about breast cancer treatment and fertility. It describes how treatment for primary breast cancer may affect a woman’s fertility, and possible ways of preserving fertility. It also includes information about pregnancy after a diagnosis of breast cancer, and permanent infertility.
Christie Hospital NHS Trust
Some people may be advised to follow a low-fibre diet during or after treatment for cancer. This booklet gives ideas of suitable foods and advice for improving the nutritional value of meals; this may be helpful for people who have a poor appetite or who have lost weight.
Christie Hospital NHS Trust
Eating may be a problem for people with cancer or other illnesses, particularly when undergoing treatment such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy. This booklet has advice on how to eat well when trying to cope with loss of appetite, changes in taste, dry mouth, difficulties swallowing, feeling full, nausea, diarrhoea, and constipation. It has tips on how to make food as nourishing as possible and ideas for snacks and drinks.
Christie Hospital NHS Trust
Some illnesses or treatments may make swallowing difficult. This booklet has ideas on how to prepare soft or liquidised foods and how to make food more nourishing by enriching it with dairy produce, fats, sugars and fortified milk. Includes meal suggestions.
Breast Cancer Care
This booklet explains what happens after your hospital-based treatments finish. It includes information on follow-up care, being breast and body aware, the ways breast cancer may come back, and how you might feel after treatment ends.
Macmillan Cancer Support
We have produced the Core Books List to help public libraries and cancer information and support centres improve the quality and reliability of the cancer books they stock. The list includes books about cancer itself and people’s experience of living with cancer. All the books on the list have been reviewed favourably by our volunteer book reviewers. This list is not prescriptive but intended to help libraries to make informed choices between the very wide range of books available, which can be of variable quality and accuracy. Please note: Inclusion of a book in this list does not imply endorsement by Macmillan Cancer Support.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This booklet is for people affected by cancer, including carers, who would like to know more about their rights at work.
Prostate Cancer UK
This booklet is for men who are worried that their prostate cancer might come back, or whose cancer has recurred after one or more treatments. It describes why prostate cancer might come back, the treatment options, and how to get support. It has space to record the names and contact details of the health professionals involved in ongoing care, details of appointments, and results of PSA tests. Includes a glossary.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This leaflet has questions you may need to ask about work issues if you are affected by cancer. It can help you find the information you need at every stage.
Macmillan Cancer Support
This leaflet has questions you may need to ask about work issues if you are a working carer. A working carer is anyone who works while providing unpaid support to a partner, family member or friend with cancer, who could not manage without this support.
Prostate Cancer UK
This fact sheet is for men who want to know more about active surveillance, which is a way of monitoring localised (early) prostate cancer rather than treating it straight away.
Prostate Cancer UK
This booklet is aimed at anyone who wants to know more about the prostate gland. It describes what the prostate gland is, the changes to look out for, benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis and prostate cancer (what it is, the symptoms, the risk factors and what will happen at the doctors). A summary of this information is also available as a Z-card 'Know your prostate. A quick guide.'
Brainstrust
This leaflet looks at some of the myths around proton beam therapy: protons can treat any cancer; proton beam therapy is more effective than conventional radiotherapy; protons can cure cancer that other treatments can’t; having proton beam therapy through a private provider is better than through the NHS; decisions to be treated with proton beam therapy are based on money; other countries use proton beam therapy in most cases; most people should be treated with proton beam therapy.
Public Health England
A factsheet for women who have been assessed as being more at risk of developing breast cancer than women in the general population.