Cancer Is Complicated

And Other Unexpected Lessons I've Learned

$15.99 US
Penguin Adult HC/TR | The Open Field
On sale Sep 23, 2025 | 9780593830628
Sales rights: World

See Additional Formats
A comforting, empowering, practical, and beautifully written guide to living with breast cancer from Clea Shearer, cofounder of The Home Edit

In 2022, Clea Shearer thought: This is going to be the best year of my life. The Home Edit, the company she had cofounded and worked so hard to grow, was acquired by Hello Sunshine. She had just finished filming the second season of her Emmy-nominated show Get Organized with The Home Edit. She turned forty surrounded by candles, flowers, friends, and family. And then, on March 8, 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her life as she knew it was over.

But life is full of nuances. As the months went by, Clea started to feel like she had been given an opportunity. What if she could share everything she experienced and learned throughout this process, so it would be a little less frightening for someone else? If she could manage to do that, maybe she could turn her cancer purposeful.

Cancer Is Complicated is the book that Clea wishes she’d had when she started on her cancer journey. It is a memoir and a guidebook, blending Clea’s experiences and all the wisdom and advice she’s gathered through this process. The book follows Clea through every step of her journey, from the moment she first felt a lump in her breast, through treatment, to where she is today. Clea also offers insights on questions big and small—from how to be your own biggest advocate, to knowing whom in your circle to share your diagnosis with, to understanding the emotional side of cancer, to what to bring with you to chemo, to things to eat when nothing else tastes good, and so much more.

Clea has built an incredibly successful career on empowering and helping people navigate the overwhelm of their homes—offering accessible ways for us to begin to put our lives in order. Here, she applies her wisdom to one of the most overwhelming and frightening experiences any human being ever has to face: cancer and illness.

Warm, honest, and straightforward in its approach, Cancer Is Complicated is for anyone with cancer or anyone who loves someone with cancer. It is a reminder to care for ourselves and one another, and it is here to help readers feel less alone and more prepared for the journey ahead.
"I have known Clea for many years, and although she has had a lot of accomplishments, her greatest gift has been her raw honesty—and even humor—about her journey with breast cancer. She has touched so many people by her candor through the darkest of times, and this book will help so many more."
—Christina Applegate

"Clea has always been a helper, and she’s doing it again with this incredible book. She is sharing her cancer journey and helping you through yours. She will walk with you . . . holding your hand every step of the way."
—Hoda Kotb

"I was lucky enough to have Clea as my personal breast cancer mentor, and now she can be yours too. All her warmth and wisdom are in her book Cancer is Complicated. A deeply honest, moving, and often funny account of her journey through diagnosis, decisions, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and beyond. It is the ultimate breast cancer handbook."
—Jenna Fischer

"Beautifully written, inspiring, and empowering. Cancer Is Complicated gorgeously blends together memoir and guidebook, walking us through each step of Clea Shearer’s cancer journey. It’s comforting, relatable, and filled with essential advice. Anyone embarking on their cancer journey is going to feel less alone and less adrift with this book at their side."
—Maria Shriver

"Clea was one of the first friends I called when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I’m forever grateful that she was straightforward and honest with me about what was to come. And now, with this book, she’s giving readers a chance to have that same guidance and comfort from diagnosis to treatment and beyond."
—Olivia Munn

"[Shearer’s] matter-of-fact explanations of the bodily experience of chemo are valuable, and her breezy, good-humored tone keeps things from getting too heavy . . . Those grappling with recent cancer diagnoses will find comfort and welcome humor here."
Publishers Weekly

About

A comforting, empowering, practical, and beautifully written guide to living with breast cancer from Clea Shearer, cofounder of The Home Edit

In 2022, Clea Shearer thought: This is going to be the best year of my life. The Home Edit, the company she had cofounded and worked so hard to grow, was acquired by Hello Sunshine. She had just finished filming the second season of her Emmy-nominated show Get Organized with The Home Edit. She turned forty surrounded by candles, flowers, friends, and family. And then, on March 8, 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her life as she knew it was over.

But life is full of nuances. As the months went by, Clea started to feel like she had been given an opportunity. What if she could share everything she experienced and learned throughout this process, so it would be a little less frightening for someone else? If she could manage to do that, maybe she could turn her cancer purposeful.

Cancer Is Complicated is the book that Clea wishes she’d had when she started on her cancer journey. It is a memoir and a guidebook, blending Clea’s experiences and all the wisdom and advice she’s gathered through this process. The book follows Clea through every step of her journey, from the moment she first felt a lump in her breast, through treatment, to where she is today. Clea also offers insights on questions big and small—from how to be your own biggest advocate, to knowing whom in your circle to share your diagnosis with, to understanding the emotional side of cancer, to what to bring with you to chemo, to things to eat when nothing else tastes good, and so much more.

Clea has built an incredibly successful career on empowering and helping people navigate the overwhelm of their homes—offering accessible ways for us to begin to put our lives in order. Here, she applies her wisdom to one of the most overwhelming and frightening experiences any human being ever has to face: cancer and illness.

Warm, honest, and straightforward in its approach, Cancer Is Complicated is for anyone with cancer or anyone who loves someone with cancer. It is a reminder to care for ourselves and one another, and it is here to help readers feel less alone and more prepared for the journey ahead.

Praise

"I have known Clea for many years, and although she has had a lot of accomplishments, her greatest gift has been her raw honesty—and even humor—about her journey with breast cancer. She has touched so many people by her candor through the darkest of times, and this book will help so many more."
—Christina Applegate

"Clea has always been a helper, and she’s doing it again with this incredible book. She is sharing her cancer journey and helping you through yours. She will walk with you . . . holding your hand every step of the way."
—Hoda Kotb

"I was lucky enough to have Clea as my personal breast cancer mentor, and now she can be yours too. All her warmth and wisdom are in her book Cancer is Complicated. A deeply honest, moving, and often funny account of her journey through diagnosis, decisions, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and beyond. It is the ultimate breast cancer handbook."
—Jenna Fischer

"Beautifully written, inspiring, and empowering. Cancer Is Complicated gorgeously blends together memoir and guidebook, walking us through each step of Clea Shearer’s cancer journey. It’s comforting, relatable, and filled with essential advice. Anyone embarking on their cancer journey is going to feel less alone and less adrift with this book at their side."
—Maria Shriver

"Clea was one of the first friends I called when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I’m forever grateful that she was straightforward and honest with me about what was to come. And now, with this book, she’s giving readers a chance to have that same guidance and comfort from diagnosis to treatment and beyond."
—Olivia Munn

"[Shearer’s] matter-of-fact explanations of the bodily experience of chemo are valuable, and her breezy, good-humored tone keeps things from getting too heavy . . . Those grappling with recent cancer diagnoses will find comfort and welcome humor here."
Publishers Weekly