Cancer Council has created information about cancer that is easier to understand. It uses clear words and pictures. Click below to find out more.
This Easy Read information was published in July 2025 and funded through the generosity of a Perpetual IMPACT grant.
We thank the health professionals, other experts, and people affected by cancer who reviewed this information:
Chemotherapy
Prof Deborah Bateson AM, Professor of Practice, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney; Diane Davey, Operations Manager Cancer Services, Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre; A/Prof Fiona Day, Medical Oncologist, Calvary Mater Newcastle; Dr Annie Ho, Radiation Oncologist, Macquarie University Hospital, Mater Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital; Maha Kamil, Cancer Council Liaison South Western Sydney; Laila Khan, Lead, Cancer Council Liaisons – Greater Sydney, Cancer Council NSW; Elfa Moraitakis, Chief Executive Officer, SydWest Multicultural Services; Dana Mouwad, Director, Statewide Health Literacy Lab; A/Prof Danielle Muscat, Director of Research, NSW Statewide Health Literacy Hub and Applied and Translational Research Lead, Sydney Health Literacy Lab; Jenny Nguyen, Community Fundraising Coordinator, Cancer Council NSW; Dr Abhijit Pal, Medical Oncologist, Liverpool Hospital and Bankstown Hospital; Kate Pallot, Lead Cancer Council Liaison Regional and Rural, Cancer Council NSW; Dukopi Redamwang, Consumer; Amparo Rojo, Consumer; Rafi Sharif, Consumer; Dr Jess Smith, Medical Oncologist, GenesisCare Campbelltown; Dr Janelle Weise, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health (now incorporates 3DN), University of NSW; Dr Lauren Winkler, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow and Study Coordinator ScreenEQUAL Cervical Cancer and HPV Stream, Daffodil Centre.
We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of all focus group participants from Arab Council Australia and SydWest Multicultural Services who generously shared their time, experiences and perspectives.
This content was assessed using the SHeLL Health Literacy Editor, a tool developed by the Sydney Health Literacy Lab to evaluate and improve the clarity of written health information: Ayre J., Bonner C., Muscat D.M., Dunn A.G., Harrison E., Dalmazzo J., Mouwad D., Aslani P., Shepherd H.L., McCaffery K.J., “Automated Health Literacy Assessments of Written Health Information: Development of the SHeLL (Sydney Health Literacy Lab) Health Literacy Editor v1”, JMIR Formative Research, 2023, e40645. DOI: 10.2196/40645.
Radiation therapy
Prof Deborah Bateson AM, Professor of Practice, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney; Diane Davey, Operations Manager Cancer Services, Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre; A/Prof Fiona Day, Medical Oncologist, Calvary Mater Newcastle; Dr Annie Ho, Radiation Oncologist, Macquarie University Hospital, Mater Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital; Laila Khan, Lead, Cancer Council Liaisons – Greater Sydney, Cancer Council NSW; Elfa Moraitakis, Chief Executive Officer, SydWest Multicultural Services; Jenny Nguyen, Community Fundraising Coordinator, Cancer Council NSW; Dr Abhijit Pal, Medical Oncologist, Liverpool Hospital and Bankstown Hospital; Kate Pallot, Lead Cancer Council Liaison Regional and Rural, Cancer Council NSW; Amparo Rojo, Consumer; Rafi Sharif, Consumer; Dr Jess Smith, Medical Oncologist, GenesisCare Campbelltown; Dr Janelle Weise, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health (now incorporates 3DN), University of NSW; Lauren Winkler, Postdoctoral Fellow and Project ScreenEQUAL Coordinator, The University of Sydney.
We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of all focus group participants from Arab Council Australia and SydWest Multicultural Services who generously shared their time, experiences and perspectives.
This content was assessed using the SHeLL Health Literacy Editor, a tool developed by the Sydney Health Literacy Lab to evaluate and improve the clarity of written health information: Ayre J., Bonner C., Muscat D.M., Dunn A.G., Harrison E., Dalmazzo J., Mouwad D., Aslani P., Shepherd H.L., McCaffery K.J., “Automated Health Literacy Assessments of Written Health Information: Development of the SHeLL (Sydney Health Literacy Lab) Health Literacy Editor v1”, JMIR Formative Research, 2023, e40645. DOI: 10.2196/40645.
Feelings and cancer
Annette Beattie, Manager, Supportive Care, Cancer Council; Laila Khan, Lead, Cancer Council Liaisons – Greater Sydney, Cancer Council NSW; Dana Mouwad, Director, Statewide Health Literacy Lab; Dominic Oen, Clinical Psychologist, Bankstown Cancer Centre; Kate Pallot, Lead Cancer Council Liaison Regional and Rural, Cancer Council NSW; Gloria Yu, Cancer Council Bilingual Liaison South Western Sydney, Cancer Council.
We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of all focus group participants from Arab Council Australia and SydWest Multicultural Services who generously shared their time, experiences and perspectives.
This content was assessed using the SHeLL Health Literacy Editor, a tool developed by the Sydney Health Literacy Lab to evaluate and improve the clarity of written health information: Ayre J., Bonner C., Muscat D.M., Dunn A.G., Harrison E., Dalmazzo J., Mouwad D., Aslani P., Shepherd H.L., McCaffery K.J., “Automated Health Literacy Assessments of Written Health Information: Development of the SHeLL (Sydney Health Literacy Lab) Health Literacy Editor v1”, JMIR Formative Research, 2023, e40645. DOI: 10.2196/40645.
Help with money
Sophie Anderson, Manager, Client Experiences, Cancer Council NSW; Prof Deborah Bateson AM, Professor of Practice, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney; Caitlin Bell, Lead, Legal and Financial Support Services, Cancer Council NSW; Laila Khan, Lead, Cancer Council Liaisons – Greater Sydney, Cancer Council NSW; Theresa Masiello, Financial Navigator, Cancer Council NSW; Kate Pallot, Lead Cancer Council Liaison Regional and Rural, Cancer Council NSW; Gloria Yu, Cancer Council Liaison South Western Sydney, Cancer Council NSW.
We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of all focus group participants from Arab Council Australia and SydWest Multicultural Services who generously shared their time, experiences and perspectives.
This content was assessed using the SHeLL Health Literacy Editor, a tool developed by the Sydney Health Literacy Lab to evaluate and improve the clarity of written health information: Ayre J., Bonner C., Muscat D.M., Dunn A.G., Harrison E., Dalmazzo J., Mouwad D., Aslani P., Shepherd H.L., McCaffery K.J., “Automated Health Literacy Assessments of Written Health Information: Development of the SHeLL (Sydney Health Literacy Lab) Health Literacy Editor v1”, JMIR Formative Research, 2023, e40645. DOI: 10.2196/40645.
Life after cancer
Laila Khan, Lead, Cancer Council Liaisons – Greater Sydney, Cancer Council NSW; Prof Michael Jefford, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Director, Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre and Research Lead, Survivorship / Living Well With And Beyond Cancer, Centre for Health Services Research; Kate Pallot, Lead Cancer Council Liaison Regional and Rural, Cancer Council NSW.
This content was assessed using the SHeLL Health Literacy Editor, a tool developed by the Sydney Health Literacy Lab to evaluate and improve the clarity of written health information: Ayre J., Bonner C., Muscat D.M., Dunn A.G., Harrison E., Dalmazzo J., Mouwad D., Aslani P., Shepherd H.L., McCaffery K.J., “Automated Health Literacy Assessments of Written Health Information: Development of the SHeLL (Sydney Health Literacy Lab) Health Literacy Editor v1”, JMIR Formative Research, 2023, e40645. DOI: 10.2196/40645.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.