The C-word

What word came to mind, seeing that title? Rude terms for female anatomy or sexual acts? Or did you know I was referring to cancer? As doctors, we’ve often tried to bury the c-word, falling back on terms like mass or tumour, trying to soften the blow, because as soon as the c-word is out there, assumptions are made: weight loss, baldness, chemotherapy, death. Sometimes patients don’t hear another word for the entire visit. Let’s take things one step at a time, I’ll say, let’s not jump right to wigs and caskets. The power of the c-word is particularly important to me currently, having received the diagnosis myself; my own rectal cancer is curable, yet I see the anxious impact of the c-word on myself and on others.
          How do we reduce the potency of a word?

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