12 Inspirational Books on Cancer to Read in 2020

Every year, more than 600,000 people die from cancer in the U.S. That's a rough equivalent of the entire population of Las Vegas.

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is hard on everyone involved — from the patient to their friends and family. With a diagnosis comes a flood of questions, doubts, and preconceived notions on what cancer is like based on media depictions and stories from friends of friends. Regardless of the severity of the disease, cancer is scary. It's hard to know where to go for hope, information, or reassurance.

There's a seemingly infinite amount of cancer resources available. On Amazon alone, there are over 20,000 books on the subject. So rather than wasting time sifting through endless books, we've compiled the best of the best. From nutrition advice to information on the history of cancer to emotional support, these 12 cancer books are here to educate and empower. Remember to talk to your doctor if you have questions about cancer or suspect that you're at risk.

1. What to Eat If You Have Cancer: Healing Foods That Boost Your Immune System

Diet can boost the effectiveness of cancer treatment and lessen side effects. This vial resource contains breakthrough research and must-know recipes.

Authors: Maureen Keane, MS and Daniella Chace, MS

2. Anticancer: A New Way of Life

Learn how to fight cancer — or stop it from developing — by knowing which foods to eat, which to avoid, and how to implement stress-reducing practices.

Author: David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD

3. How to Starve Cancer

After receiving a stage IV cancer diagnosis, Jane devoted her life to research. now she shares the science behind what cured her terminal cancer.

Author: Jane McLelland, Grad. Dip. Phys

4. Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself

Rather than providing a list fo foods to avoid, Dr. Li empowers patients by introducing a world of healing foods to aid the body's defense systems.

Author: William W. Li, MD

5. Lean on Me: Cancer Through a Carer's Eyes

A powerfully inspirational true story of a courageous man's battle with cancer and his wife's emotional journey as she supports him.

Author: Lorraine Kember

6. The Unwinding of the Miracle

Julie shares the inspiring story of her life, from narrowly escaping death as an infant in Vietnam to her terminal cancer diagnosis — and how she kept hope.

Author: Julie Yip-Williams

7. Dying to Be Me

Anita shares all she learned form her near-death experience with aggressive cancer and how she left the hospital two weeks later without a trace of cancer.

Author: Anita Moorjani

8. When Breath Becomes Air

Paul Kalanithi went from successful neurosurgeon to stage IV lung cancer patient. Before he passed, he shared his thoughts on what makes life meaningful.

Author: Paul Kalanithi, MD

9. The Emperor of All Maladies

From the first documentation of cancer thousands of years ago to the battle of the 21st century, Dr. Mukherjee explores cancer where biology and history meet.

Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil

10. The First Cell

Dr. Raza offers a medical, scientific, cultural, and personal account of cancer, how far treatment has come, and where there's great room for improvement.

Author: Azra Raza, MD

11. The Cancer Chronicles: Unlocking Medicine's Deepest Mystery

Everything you've wondered about cancer — from where it came from to why a cure is so elusive — is answered in this comprehensive work.

Author: George Johnson

12. Radical Remission

Researcher and psychotherapist Kelly Turner studies over 1,000 patients who have reversed their cancer and explains new healing possibilities.

Author: Kelly A. Turner, PhD