Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Palliative Skills for Frontline Clinicians pp 81–87Cite as

“I am a Fighter”: Recognizing and Responding to Cancer Metaphors

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

  • 529 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter outlines how clinicians can approach metaphorical statements, like “I am a fighter,” expressed by patients and families in describing their experiences with illness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. George DR, Whitehouse ER, Whitehouse PJ. Asking more of our metaphors: narrative strategies to end the “war on Alzheimer’s” and humanize cognitive aging. Am J Bioeth. 2016;16(10):22–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2016.1214307.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Reisfield GM, Wilson GR. Use of metaphor in the discourse on Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22(19):4024–7. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2004.03.136.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Byrne A, Ellershaw J, Holcombe C, Salmon P. Patients’ experience of cancer: evidence of the role of “fighting” in collusive clinical communication. Patient Educ Couns. 2002;48(1):15–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0738-3991(02)00094-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Hoffman KE, McCarthy EP, Recklitis CJ, Ng AK. Psychological distress in long-term survivors of adult-onset Cancer. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(14):1274. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2009.179.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Miller RS, et al. Oncol Times. 2010;32(12):20. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.COT.0000383777.50536.b2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Malm H. Military metaphors and their contribution to the problems of overdiagnosis and overtreatment in the “war” against cancer. Am J Bioeth. 2016;16(10):19–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2016.1214331.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Trachsel M. Killing the pain and battling the lethargy: misleading military metaphors in palliative care. Am J Bioeth. 2016;16(10):24–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2016.1214310.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Perrault S, O’Keefe MM. Journeys as shared human experiences. Am J Bioeth. 2016;16(10):13–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2016.1214319.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Harrington KJ. The use of metaphor in discourse about cancer: a review of the literature. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2012;16(4):408. https://doi.org/10.1188/12.CJON.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Semino E, Demjén Z, Demmen J, et al. The online use of violence and journey metaphors by patients with cancer, as compared with health professionals: a mixed methods study. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2017;7(1):60–6. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjspcare-2014-000785.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Shapiro J. “Violence” in medicine: necessary and unnecessary, intentional and unintentional. Philos Ethics Humanit Med. 2018;13(1):1–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13010-018-0059-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Supportive Care Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Rushil Patel & Andrew Epstein

  2. Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Andrew Epstein

  3. Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA

    Andrew Epstein

Authors
  1. Rushil Patel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew Epstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Director of Palliative and Geriatric Medicine, St. Joseph’s Health, Paterson, NJ, USA

    Kate Aberger

  2. Director of Palliative Medicine, Scripps Health, San Diego, CA, USA

    David Wang

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Patel, R., Epstein, A. (2020). “I am a Fighter”: Recognizing and Responding to Cancer Metaphors. In: Aberger, K., Wang, D. (eds) Palliative Skills for Frontline Clinicians . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44414-3_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44414-3_12

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-44413-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-44414-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation