In her gracious acceptance of death, Deborah James has given us lessons in how to live

None of us truly knows how we will behave when the inevitable gets ever closer. Facing it squarely might allow us to savour those final moments

Skin Deep by Phillipa McGuinness review – a fascinating study of our largest organ

This wonderfully eclectic book covers everything from cancer to cosmetics, racism to skin hunger, with curiosity and intelligence throughout

Living in a woman’s body: I want my daughter to be inspired by my miraculous scars

When I was pregnant, I discovered that I had developed breast cancer – just like my mother before me. One day, the child I was carrying may face the same hard choices

Living in a woman’s body: our fists raised in defiance, we are taking back what is ours

Women’s bodies are forever under threat, making themselves smaller. In the first of a new series, the writer and activist explains how women are reclaiming their power

The person who got me through 2021: Heather Phillipson’s sculpture brightened my trips to hospital

On my way to have painful medical tests, I felt dejected. Then I saw a giant dollop of whipped cream with a cherry on top in Trafalgar Square

My husband has shut down sexually – and he won’t let me take a lover

He’s my best friend and I would never leave him. But I feel bereft after he withdrew all sexual intimacy from me years ago

‘A letter tells someone they still matter’: the sudden, surprising return of the pen pal

In the pandemic, many have rediscovered the sheer pleasure of writing to strangers, with new schemes spreading hope and connection around the world

Exercise can help prevent cancers, new research finds

Obesity could soon overtake smoking as the main preventable cancer risk

‘Find a part of each day to relish’: coping with cancer and Covid

This year has challenged us all. But for Sarah Hughes it’s been particularly hard. Here, she talks about living with cancer – and letting in the light in the darkest of times

‘You’ve given me new perspective’: readers on Elliot Dallen’s terminal illness articles

Our writer’s pieces on his experience of cancer moved readers to respond in huge numbers. Here’s what some of you said

Scars: how our wounds make us who we are – video

Scars are not just skin deep – emotional and psychological histories lie beneath the healed wounds

Higher step counts could lower risk of early death, study finds

Monitoring of adults aged 40 or over shows any activity is good and doing more is better

How to check yourself for breast cancer

Every woman is different and it’s best to get into the habit of examining yourself regularly so you can spot any changes

My cancer recovery was relatively smooth. Why do I feel in limbo?

There is no reliable ratio between events and how they affect us – all you can do is reflect on how they’ve changed you

Oncologist Azra Raza: ‘Don’t give up hope. Don’t give in to despair’

The Columbia professor on taking healthcare out of the stone age, her ideas for cancer prevention – and why getting too close to patients is an occupational hazard