The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and November is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. In the light of that, we’re giving you a round-up of some of the most inspiring, engaging, and educational documentaries, which take cancer as their main topic.

Miss Sharon Jones! (2015)

Sharon Jones, the talented soul singer, plays herself in this movie, which revolves around Jones’ journey with pancreatic cancer. It follows the powerful woman as she searches to strike a balance between her career and her diagnosis. 

No Evidence of Disease (2013)

Rock N’ Roll Band, No Evidence of Disease (N.E.D.), joins the cause with 6 GYN surgeons in their attempt to shed light on some of the less-talked about types of cancer. Follow the story of brave women fighting to survive with Rock N’ Roll as their muse.

Pink Ribbons, Inc. (2011)

A lot of people wear those pink ribbons and stand in support of breast cancer patients. Huge amounts are donated to the cause, but what happens afterwards? This documentary looks at the commercialisation of the Pink Ribbon. 

Mondays at Racine (2012)

This short film discusses a Long Island hair salon which opens its doors every third Monday of each month for women diagnosed with cancer. Instead of this being a painful experience, this salon provides services free of charge to help these brave women in their battle against the disease.

Thank You for Playing (2015)

What would a parent do if their child was diagnosed with terminal cancer? This documentary follows how Ryan and Amy Green dealt with the news, and how the award-winning game, “That Dragon, Cancer” came to be.

Baring it All (2011)

Watch as four women undergoing different stages of cancer battle against the ailment. 

The Idiot Cycle (2009)

It’s no secret that the negligence of some industries has been one of the main causes behind the prevalence of cancer. This documentary investigates six major chemical companies, and aims to uncover how they profit from cancer treatments.

Bonus Picks

While many narrative films tend to romanticise cancer, others are more unique and a lot more genuine in their portrayal of cancer. 

You can watch Miss You Already (2015) starring Toni Collete and Drew Barrymore; the film tells the story of  how cancer affects their friendship. If you’re a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, you can watch 50/50 (2011) starring Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick. Finally, you can watch My Sister’s Keeper (2009); Cameron Diaz fights to keep her leukemia-diagnosed daughter alive by generically engineering and conceiving another child who is to act as a saviour sister. The younger daughter ultimately sues her mother for medical emancipation at only 11 years of age.