Cancer is a word, not a sentence

CANCER IS A WORDCANCER IS A WORDNOT A SENTENCENOT A SENTENCE

WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CANCER ABOUT CANCER

DR ROBERT BUCKMANDR ROBERT BUCKMANPrincess Margaret Hospital, University of TorontoPrincess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto

Published by Current Oncology and the Cancer Knowledge Network © 2011 Multimed Inc.

http://current-oncology.com/

http://multimed.current-oncology.com/

http://www.multi-med.com/

What You Really Need to Know About the CancersWhat You Really Need to Know About the Cancers

This cannot be happening to meThis cannot be happening to me

Published by Current Oncology and the Cancer Knowledge Network © 2011 Multimed Inc





Fear often produces a sense of Fear often produces a sense of paralysis, with diminished coping paralysis, with diminished coping strategies strategies

Fear of the generalities may inhibit Fear of the generalities may inhibit comprehension and coping with the comprehension and coping with the specifics specifics






Why are we Why are we SO SO

afraid of cancer?afraid of cancer? WWhy is the hy is the wordword so dreaded and awful so dreaded and awful

even when the even when the sentencesentence is light? is light?






‘ ‘Cancer’ is not one single diseaseCancer’ is not one single disease The cancers comprise a group of 200 The cancers comprise a group of 200

diseases diseases The 200 different diseases have the The 200 different diseases have the

same process in common(and often same process in common(and often nothing else) nothing else)

There is a wide spectrum of There is a wide spectrum of prognosis prognosis

Understanding palliates paralysisUnderstanding palliates paralysis






Why ‘alien’ invasionWhy ‘alien’ invasion If perceived as single disease, that If perceived as single disease, that

disease is clever and highly disease is clever and highly unpredictable unpredictable

Primeval fear of something Primeval fear of something growing inside growing inside






“ “It used to be rare....”It used to be rare....” Cancers account for 25% of allCancers account for 25% of all

deaths deaths Not talked about before (epidemic ofNot talked about before (epidemic of

silence-breaking, not disease) silence-breaking, not disease) Most cancers are not inheritedMost cancers are not inherited

(very few ‘doomed families’) (very few ‘doomed families’)






Mysteries: Mysteries: • Site of metastasesSite of metastases• AngiogenesisAngiogenesis• Markers of biological behaviourMarkers of biological behaviour• Effect of removal of primaryEffect of removal of primary






Cancer as metaphorCancer as metaphor Attitude as a causeAttitude as a cause Attitude as predictor of survivalAttitude as predictor of survival Part of “blaming the patient’Part of “blaming the patient’






““Why is the treatment so awful?”Why is the treatment so awful?” Cancer cells differ minimally from Cancer cells differ minimally from

normal normal Systemic treatment targets all Systemic treatment targets all

growing cells growing cells






““With so many breakthroughs, how With so many breakthroughs, how come there’s no progress?”come there’s no progress?” Advances in understanding not the Advances in understanding not the

same as progress in treatment same as progress in treatment Collaborative optimismCollaborative optimism Public relationsPublic relations




Complementary remedies:Complementary remedies: Difference between getting better Difference between getting better

and feeling better and feeling better “ “Not what you do, but how Not what you do, but how

you do it” you do it”



“ “ the more you understand about the more you understand about something you are afraid of, something you are afraid of,

the easier it is to cope with it ” the easier it is to cope with it ”



For more information on the books For more information on the books “CANCER IS A WORD NOT A “CANCER IS A WORD NOT A SENTENCE” and “WHAT YOU SENTENCE” and “WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CANCER”CANCER”

(Both published by Key Porter books) (Both published by Key Porter books) you can visit you can visit : :

cinemedic.comcinemedic.com


Cancer is a word, not a sentence

Health & Medicine

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