Posts Tagged as ‘cancer etiquette’

March 31, 2010

the bellicose language of cancer

The New York Times ran a really great column recently written by a prostate cancer survivor. I probably shouldn’t call him that, because his entire piece is about how words are irrelevant when it comes to cancer, including how cancer patients identify themselves. Fighter, warrior, survivor ― all inadequate, says author Dana Jennings. Cancer just [...]

April 23, 2009

pass the beer, hold the tears

America is a nation that tries really hard to be sensitive when discussing race and gender—or even the disabled. We approach these subjects with restraint, choosing our words carefully for fear of insulting others. But when it comes to life-threatening diseases, that reserve seems to get tossed aside by even the most meticulous minds. Since [...]