The Language of Cancer

Hello all. A couple of personal (but cancer-related) items today.

First, an article that I wrote was just published in a medical journal!

I've published a bunch of articles on some patient websites, but this one is in JCO Oncology Practice, a journal aimed at clinical oncologists. The article is called "We Need to Talk About War Metaphors in Oncology." It's based on some research that I have been doing for the last couple of years on the language that oncologists use when they write personal stories about cancer. Very often, people (patients and oncologists) use "war" language -- we say we are "warriors" who are "fighting" or "battling" cancer. Sometimes we use "journey" language, saying we are on a "cancer journey," or that we "didn't chose to walk this path." There has been a lot of research on how and why patients use this kind of language -- for some of us, it can be really helpful, while others really dislike that language. But there hasn't been much research on how oncologists use that language.

So my article (which is really an editorial, giving my opinion) shares some of what I found about how oncologists use "war" language when they tell stories about their experience. And what I found is that that some kinds of language can be really unhelpful, and oncologists can really dislike it sometimes (just like patients), but also that they it can be really helpful to them at other times (just like patients!). In the end, I argue that we need to spend more time thinking and talking about the language we use to talk about cancer, and figure out how and when certain words are helpful or hurtful. Words matter.

The article created quite a bit of discussion on Twitter over the weekend, when one of the editors from the journal tweeted about it. (When I say "quite a bit," I mean it's one of the most talked-about articles from the journal ever.)

I'm so pleased with the response. Not everyone agreed with my opinion, which is fine -- people are talking about the issue, and that's exactly what I wanted to happen.

All of this is leading to the next stage of my project -- finding a way to continue this conversation. My plan is to create a website, hopefully ready in the fall, where patients and oncologists can write short articles about the language of cancer, and what they find helpful and not helpful. I'll also use it to share more of my own research into what kind of language oncologists use. (It's a pretty big project, and I have lots to share.) 

My aim is to create a place that will help us all find words to describe our experience, and for patients and doctors to better understand one another. I'll be looking for writers. If you have something you want to share about the way we talk about cancer, I'd love to have you be a part of it (and I'm happy to help you say what you want to say, if that's a concern.) I'll share more on this project very soon!

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The second item is my annual request to support my brother Mike in his Pan Mass Challenge bike ride. 

The PMC is a ride across Massachusetts over two days (August 6 and 7) that raises money for cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. My brother has been riding since 2008 (the year I was diagnosed), and he's personally raised almost $80,000 in that time. 

Here's his fundraising letter for this year:

In just over one month, I'll be participating for the 15th year in the Pan Mass Challenge. The PMC is one of the largest cancer fundraising events in the country, consisting of a number of one or two day bike rides across the state of Massachusetts with proceeds used to benefit cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

As many of you know, cancer has impacted many members of my family, including both of my parents and my two siblings. My Mom and Dad were patients at the Dana-Farber Institute, and had I've seen the direct impact of the care and research by the doctors and researchers at DFCI.

My goal this year is to raise $6,000 in donations, to help reach the overall goal of $66 million. If you would like to donate , please click on this link: https://profile.pmc.org/MM0386

Thanks for considering a contribution to this year's goal.

 

I know some of you have donated in the past. If you're able to, that's wonderful. If not, that's OK. But thanks for considering it.