The Rhetoric of Cancer

by Averil Santos

2013-25246

      In BBC's podcast documentary entitled "The Rhetoric of Cancer," Andrew Graystone, using narrations and interviews, explores the language surrounding cancer. Throughout this podcast, he constantly uses military and war metaphors in order to address and approach this disease. It revolves around the choice of fighting back this antagonist-like disease. 

        Cancer is a class of disease characterized by the out-of-control cell growth. Not one, not two, but 100 types of cancer exists and each one of them is classified by the type of cell it affects. Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably and form lumps of tissue called a tumor. Well, I think cancer can be considered a mutation. Mutations happen all the time and we can see it everywhere; it's natural. 

        Andrew Graystone mentioned that our society should stop treating cancer as our enemy. When somebody dies, it is inevitably described as “after a long battle with cancer”. It is as if the word processor sees “died of cancer” or “died from cancer” as a negative. Like what Mr. Graystone said in his podcast, cancer cells are already a part of him therefore he must learn how to live with it.