Is Cancer A Battle? Why We Use Military Metaphors To Discuss Cancer, And Why Some Wish You Wouldn't

Cancer. Not too long ago, it was so terrifying that even saying the word was hard. "The big C", people said. Cancer is the second biggest killer of Americans. It strikes people of all ages and genders, often seemingly randomly and without warning. Despite increased treatment options and survival rates, there's still no cure for cancer. It's not that weird, then, that many people see cancer as an enemy, and having it as doing battle. 

What's In A Word?

"I think it's good to use words like that," Julie, a survivor of a rare form of lymphoma told me. "I can tell you the whole process of going through chemo is hell." To this cancer survivor, describing cancer as a battle is empowering. "Battle, to me, conveys what I went through. I had to be armed — armed with information, with emotional support, and with physical support. In battle, you do not always know the moves the enemy is going to make. You have to look out for the unexpected. Cancer is like that, too. When you go into battle, you fight bravely. You may survive, or you may not, but you are not alone, and you are not going down without a fight."

"I have been cancer-free for almost two decades now," Kathy, another cancer survivor said. "It did feel like a battle, and I have the scars to prove it. Just like many war veterans, I am reminded of the fight I faced every day when I get dressed. My scars are a daily reminder that I fought, and I won. Too many people go into battle and do not come out victorious. In that sense I am lucky. There's no medal."

Thomas reminds us that there is no cure for cancer. Continuous vigilance is required, even after remission. Medical staff use their full arsenal of "weapons", all the treatment options at their disposal. Battles may end in stalemate, or a different strategy may be needed to continue the war. Meanwhile, "new ideas to defeat the invader are tested, and new weapons can bring victory to more people". There's a good chance of dying of cancer, just as there is a good chance of dying in war. Military terminology helps people acknowledge mortality without giving into it.

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It's clear that fighting terminology is something many people with cancer embrace. This is probably one reason it is hard to discuss cancer without running into it, and cancer charities (like Cancer Research UK and their slogan "One day we will beat cancer") are using it too. These words mean that, while there's not yet a cure for cancer, society at large is now acknowledging that cancer survival rates have gone up an awful lot, and individuals can come out of their treatment alive. While some people are fighting cancer, others loudly proclaim ⌗FUCKCANCER, on the internet with hashtags and on their bodies with t-shirts and even tattoos.

'Cancer Isn't A Battle': Not Everyone With Cancer Is Empowered By Military Terminology

Not everyone agrees that cancer is a battle, however. Blogger Aria Jones wrote an open letter to people who use the term "battle" to describe what others with cancer are going through. "If I die of this relapsed, refractory Acute Myelogenous Leukemia," she wrote, "and you describe me posthumously as having 'lost her battle with cancer,' I swear to God I will come back from wherever my soul may have been sent and haunt the living shit out of you for the rest of your days."

An actual battle, this blogger says, is something either party could win. Not so with cancer, for which there is no cure. She continues: "OH! I beg your pardon; the fighting words seemed to work for your brother (before he was declared a courageous loser of his battle) so, since all cancer patients are the same, they’re perfectly appropriate to use with me and any others you may encounter. How comfortingly convenient… for you."

The message is clear. If cancer is a battle, there are winners and losers, and those who die are the losers. Doesn't that somehow imply that they weren't as strong, or didn't do everything they can to "win"? If it does, wouldn't that be disgusting? Well, some people with cancer see these metaphors exactly in that light, yet are confronted with them on a daily basis. That isn't fair. It's the people affected by cancer who get to decide how their disease is talked about, not others. 

"Cancer is more like a parasite with which I am forced to live," Mae says. "I entered the treatment process feeling powerless and hopeless, not with a battle song. I endure the treatment, the treatment during which doctors are destroying my own cells. It is not a fight. I am not trying to stay positive throughout. I am not courageous. I didn't choose this. It sucks."

Jane shares: "I don't get too upset over this, but I do cringe when I see obituaries where someone is declared to have lost their fight with cancer. My diagnosis was nine years ago. The 'you're strong, you can win this' messages were meant to be supportive so I took them as such, but the fact is that some people live, and some don't. I don't think willpower has anything to do with it."

Yet others also reject the "survivor" label, pointing out that cancer can return at any point and being in remission isn't a source of pride, but a source of constant anxiety. 

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Honoring People's Wishes

The moral of this story is pretty simple, really: words have a large impact, and they mean different things to different people. While battle terminology is helpful to some people with cancer, others don't appreciate it at all. If you have cancer, it's you who gets to decide how to put your feelings about that into words. If someone you know has cancer, ask them how they prefer to talk about it.