The Rhetoric of Cancer is a documentary under BBC by Andrew Graystone, who was also diagnosed with cancer in 2010. Soon as he realizes that most of the terms that were used to promote against cancer were mostly military-based words, he goes on a research and looks for the term which is more appropriate for him since he finds a hard time to describe what’s going on in his system and that he's "not really [of] the fighting kind".
Cancer is a disease which is caused by out-of-control cell growth. These 'out-of-control' cells are damaged cells which then divide uncontrollably forming tumors. These tumors interfere with the digestive, nervous and circulatory systems.
There is no single treatment for cancer. It is treated with multiple combinations of therapies; therapies which take not only a month or 2 but consume a whole lot more --- time, money, work, and emotional distress. Cancer can almost be compared to that of an evil dictator which wants to hoard all of the power of system. Cancer is an enemy.
One can already perceive what cancer does on both the victim and the victim's loved ones --- wreak havoc.
I was pleased to hear with what the interviewees thought of cancer, really; that they did not let this kind of impairment get the better of them and to deal with it with bravery. Surely these are just words in the perspective of a reader but in the position of someone who struggles in fighting against it, it becomes their hope, their conviction that they hold on to as they fight to survive.
I think both the doctors and patients seem to use the terms as more of a euphemism with what they're actually dealing with, to ease the worry and shock cancer leaves as an impact, which is a good battle strategy. Dealing with cancer comes with the struggle to be optimistic; to be hopeful of a positive outcome and maybe through euphemism that they are able to be one.
Phoebe Rivera
2013-53664
STS-THY
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