Here’s a clickable look at my favorite books for cancer patients. Since being diagnosed with cancer in 2017, I have read over 60 books on cancer, health, nutrition, and healing. These are some of my top recommended reads for anyone with a cancer diagnosis wanting to feel more empowered on your healing journey. I wanted to make it easy for you to order, so all you have to do is click on a book title below and it will take you directly to that book.
Anticancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber is great for any cancer patient who wants to learn more about what to start eating and doing to help support your body in healing. The author lived with brain cancer for nearly 20 years. He was a MD and a PhD and used those skills along with his personal experience as a patient to explain the evidence behind the various claims of what is helpful during cancer.
Outside the Box Cancer Therapies by Dr. Mark Stengler and Dr. Paul Anderson is a compilation of both standard of care and complimentary therapies for cancer. The authors write from experience of decades of treating cancer thrivers and are able to summarize the science behind the therapies. The book even summarizes key therapies to do by type of cancer.
Radical Hope by Dr. Kelly A. Turner is a book full of testimonies and, as the title says, hope! If you need inspiration of what kind of healing is possible during cancer, this is the book to read! Along with the inspiring testimonies, Dr. Turner also wraps the true stories into ten categories of what these people did to heal. These are actions you can immediately start putting into practice in your life no matter where you are on the cancer journey.
Chris Beat Cancer by Chris Wark is a patient perspective on taking massive action to live beyond the prognosis of the medical doctor’s recommendations. This work is easy to read with quick takeaways of how you can start to take action today to put your body in the best possible state for healing.
The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters brings to light how cancer cells are fueled and ways we can work to adapt our metabolic system to restrict the cancer cells activity instead of fueling it. If you are interested in a healthier version of keto during cancer, this is the manual for it alongside working with a licensed practitioner who understands this approach.
Eat to Beat Disease by Dr. William Li is a look into a variety of diseases, including different types of cancer, and how the food we eat can help our bodies heal. The author helps unpack the science around food as medicine with easy to understand descriptions and a specific formula he recommends to follow in choosing what to eat.
Cancer: The Journey from Diagnosis to Empowerment by Dr. Paul Anderson is a look at the role mindset and hope have in a cancer patient’s life beyond the moment of diagnosis. With decades of experience working with cancer patients, Dr. Anderson gently describes the differences he has seen play out before his very eyes in what makes patients thrive. This is a quick easy read and is a good primer for someone more recently diagnosed or having a recurrence.
Anticancer Living by Dr. Lorenzo Cohen and Dr. Alison Jefferies pick-up on the work of the late Dr. David Servan-Schreiber and lay out a framework for incorporating six specific keys into your life to promote an optimal environment for health. Leaning into their research and experience with cancer patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the authors present evidence-based practices that can be put into action no matter where one is on the cancer journey.
How to Starve Cancer by Jane McLelland is like a textbook for every cancer patient to learn about the pathways that fuel cancer cells. McLelland’s combination of personal experience with a cancer diagnosis along with professionally working with patients gives her a special expertise in breaking down the plethora of academic papers showing the various off label RX, vitamins, supplements etc. that have been shown in the studies to block the pathway of cancers. Don’t be fooled by the name, the work is not about starving one’s-self.
Breasts: The Owner’s Manual: Every Woman’s Guide to Reducing Cancer Risk, Making Treatment Choices, and Optimizing Outcomes by Dr. Kristi Funk is a straight forward, no judgement work based on Funk’s knowledge and experience as a board certified oncological breast surgeon. She explains the standard of care options and the statistics in helping women with breast cancer make decisions about things like single or double mastecomy (and more) and even walks through what vitamins & supplements to take around surgeries to help in recovery.
Looking for More Resources for Cancer Patients?
I’ve got you covered when it comes to tools, resources, links, and things to help any cancer patient thrive through the cancer journey. This best books for cancer patients list is just one of many resources I share here on Shrink the Mutant School! Here’s what I call my “everything” page because, well, it has just about everything to help you. I also have a “Part 2” to my recommended Books list that you can find on my blog here.
No authors nor publishers have compensated me for sharing these titles. These are my own reviews. This post contains affiliate links from Amazon. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to make a purchase using my link. Any commissions I earn from my work, time, energy, and effort spent on Shrink the Mutant School go back to paying for the resources needed to keep this running or to my on-going medical treatment. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and support of my work.
