There was a programme on Radio 4 yesterday that dealt with various aspects of how people talk about cancer that was quite interesting (well, I'll let you be the judge of that!). It was part of the 'Word of Mouth' series and can be listened to from the BBC website bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02519lf
It is split into the one clip with Graham Joyce and Pete Crowther talking to each other - both are writers, and another clip involving Dr Ben Kennedy.
There were some quite profound thoughts about fear not being able to defeat hope; the way that people may talk as if they want to 'fight' cancer for you, out of love, notwithstanding that some people do not relate to the language of warfare against the disease; the desire to control the progress of disease that may be an illusion - some things you can control, others you cannot; not wanting to give too much power to the cancer; and how words may have different meanings and interpretations between doctor and patient.
