Cancer – articles and advice
Information about cancer
Features on cancer awareness, treatment options, and living with cancer. For structured information, visit our Patient Information Leaflets on cancer.
Information about cancer
Being diagnosed with cancer can feel overwhelming. Find clear, practical information about cancer types, treatments, emotional support, and how to navigate what comes next.
- Everything you need to know about cancer screening
- 8 tips to help reduce your cancer risk at any age
- How to look after yourself during cancer treatment and chemotherapy
- NHS to roll out world-first blood test for cancer
- Cancer symptoms you should never ignore
- What are ultra processed foods and do they cause cancer?
- Why do young LGBTQ+ people have a poorer experience of cancer care?
- How to look after your hair during chemotherapy
- What it's like to live with cancer fatigue
- Cancer fatigue: what it is and how to cope
- How to look after your skin during chemotherapy
- Less survivable cancers are more likely to have late diagnoses
- What is cancer 'prehabilitation'?
- Supporting a loved one with a cancer diagnosis
- How to cope with anxiety after cancer
- Just one year of being overweight lowers chances of cancer survival
- The truth about obesity and cancer
- Does alcohol cause cancer?
- Sugar in soft drinks and fruit juice linked to increased cancer risk
- How to manage the visible side effects of cancer treatment
- Vitamin D could cut risk of dying from cancer
- Cancer myths you need to stop believing
- How cancer can affect your sex life
- Coping strategies for life after cancer treatment
- Can your diet reduce the risk of cancer?
- What not to say to someone with cancer
- How cancer can affect your mental health
Bowel cancer
Bowel cancer often develops silently. Learn the early signs to watch for, what screening involves, and the treatments that can help if caught early.
Breast cancer
A breast lump isn’t always cancer, but it’s vital to get it checked. Discover the signs, diagnosis process, and treatment options for breast cancer.
- How to check for breast cancer and what a lump feels like
- Breast cancer videos
- Clinical Pilates: a support to breast cancer recovery
- Early breast cancer care
- What to expect during a breast screening
- Why we all need to be 'breast aware'
- New insight into breast cancer risk after stopping HRT
- Swap beef for chicken to reduce breast cancer risk, suggests study
- Personalised blood test detects return of breast cancer
- What happens when you find out you’re BRCA positive?
- Being a 'morning person' lowers risk of breast cancer
- What it's like to be a breast surgeon with breast cancer
- How to cope with metastatic breast cancer
Gynaecological cancer
Gynaecological cancers affect the reproductive organs. Discover the signs of ovarian, cervical, uterine and vulval cancers, and how early detection saves lives.
- NewHow my Ovarian Cancer was missed: Natasha tells her story
- Spotting the signs of ovarian cancer: why acting early matters
- Cervical cancer signs and what to look for
- Do you know the early signs of ovarian cancer?
- What affects your chances of surviving cervical cancer?
- What to expect when you have a colposcopy
- What are the common myths and facts about cervical screening?
- Can you be too old for a smear test?
- Blood test may detect ovarian cancer two years earlier
- Cervical cancer isn't funny, but laughing at it helped me cope
- Women with physical disabilities denied access to smear tests
- What to expect during a LLETZ procedure for abnormal cells
- Friendly' bacteria in the vagina could protect against ovarian cancer
- HPV vaccine could one day eliminate cervical cancer
- Women 'not warned' about side effects of treatment to remove precancerous cervical cells
- What an abnormal smear test result could mean
- Smear test myths you need to stop believing
- How to spot the warning signs of gynaecological cancer
- Why you shouldn't skip your smear test
- How to get over smear test fear
- Do lesbian and bisexual women still need smear tests?
- Ovarian cancer symptoms diary
Lung cancer
A persistent cough or breathlessness could be early signs of lung cancer. Discover the causes, how it's diagnosed, and the treatments that can help.
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer grows slowly in many cases. Learn the signs, how screening works, and the range of treatments available to manage the condition.
- Is it prostate cancer or something else?
- What is Movember?
- What are the signs of prostate cancer?
- Why are Black men more likely to die from prostate cancer?
- How accurate are prostate cancer tests?
- New blood test may detect aggressive prostate cancer
- Urine test for prostate cancer could reveal who needs urgent treatment
- PSA testing options
Skin cancer types
Not all skin cancers are the same. Find out how to recognise warning signs like changing moles and why early diagnosis makes all the difference.
- Your essential skin cancer checklist
- Whole body 3D mole mapping: the future of skin health?
- Should you wear sunscreen even when it's cloudy?
- Why is skin cancer on the rise among older adults?
- Why are men less likely to wear sun cream?
- Vitamin A-rich foods could protect against skin cancer
- What it's like to be diagnosed with skin cancer
Other cancer types
Not all cancers fit into common categories. Learn about rarer cancers, their symptoms, and how research continues to improve treatments and survival rates.
End of life care
End of life care is about comfort and dignity. Discover how services support patients and families through symptom control, emotional care, and decision making.
- End of life care: medical, emotional and spiritual support
- LGBTQI+: what are the barriers and challenges in end of life care?
- How to cope with a terminal illness at Christmas
- What are the options for end of life care?
- How to talk about your end of life care wishes
- What not to say to someone who is dying
- What you need to know about end of life care