Writing Cancer

This book offers a rich exploration of how cancer is experienced, narrated, and understood through creative literature. Drawing on literary works by 30 international authors, Ad A. Kaptein and Brian Hughes focus on the human experience of cancer, examining the lived experiences of patients, their families, and caregivers. Framed within psychological theory and the evolving field of Health Humanities, Writing Cancer provides a scholarly yet accessible analysis of narratives and how they can help shape clinical understanding. The authors invite health researchers and clinicians to reconsider the patient's voice and emphasise a culturally grounded, empathic, and holistically framed approach to cancer care. Ad A. Kaptein is emeritus professor of medical psychology at Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), the Netherlands. His research and teaching focus on illness and medical management, in particular chronic respiratory illness and cancer, as well as Illness perceptions, illness narratives, explanatory models, and health humanities. Brian M. Hughes is Professor of Psychology at the University of Galway, Ireland. He specialises in psychophysiology, health psychology, and the application of psychology to social issues. His books include Psychology's Quiet Conservatism (2025), A Conceptual History of Psychology (2023), The Psychology of Brexit (2019), and Psychology in Crisis (2018).