Irene Tuffrey-Wijne and Jane Bernal describe the development of a new book, Getting On with Cancer, which aims to help people with learning disabilities deal with this condition

Most people worry when they are told they have cancer. They also become anxious if somebody close to them develops the condition. Typical questions include: ‘What is cancer?’ ‘What are the treatments for?’, ‘Do I have to take the medication?’ or ‘Will the treatment work?’ Information about cancer should be given in a format that can be understood, and people with learning disabilities often find it difficult to access mainstream information materials. In addition, they are often not given enough information about their condition by those around them, while some are completely excluded from the truth.