• Defeating Cancer’s Hero Trope: Cancer Doesn’t Make Humans Super - It Makes Them More of Who They Already Are

  • Jul 31 2024
  • Length: 26 mins
  • Podcast

Defeating Cancer’s Hero Trope: Cancer Doesn’t Make Humans Super - It Makes Them More of Who They Already Are

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  • Summary

  • A cancer diagnosis is a "moment of truth" that brings an undeniable shift to someone's identity. Faced with one's own mortality, a concerted effort may be required to overcome the dissonance between "who I was" and "who I am now". When communicating to patients diagnosed with cancer, we often attempt to address this new-found perspective by creating "hero" tropes or by relying on aspirational calls to action, invoking tropes that fail to clarify the practical struggle people with cancer face ("am I a hero? I don't feel like one...")

    Brad and Gabe received a special request to discuss the dynamics of communication for patients with poor prognosis or late-stage cancers. They discuss the shame that may be present for lung cancer patients who were former smokers, the lack of attention paid to ovarian cancer as a women's health issue and the unnecessary pressure brought on by labeling someone with cancer as a "fighter".


    If you have any questions, feedback, or just want to say hi, email us at medicalanthropology@havas.com

    Check out Breaking the Code on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-the-code-havas-health-and-you-podcast
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