How we talk
Writing about cancer
When you are writing about cancer, the overall tone should be positive but realistic.
Don’t shy away from referring to death when it is necessary to do so, nor from acknowledging
the fear, pain and confusion that people can feel when diagnosed with cancer. But
never use language that would be likely to add to that fear or diminish people who
have cancer, or detract from them as individuals. Avoid the language of ‘victims’
and the vocabulary of war.
Wherever possible, use ‘people living with cancer’ rather than ‘patients’. This
puts the emphasis on the whole person rather than on the disease.
| Appropriate | Inappropriate |
|---|
| people with cancer | cancer victims/sufferers |
| living with cancer | fighting cancer |
| undergoing treatment for cancer | suffering from cancer |
| getting on with life despite cancer | ‘heroism’ ie battling, fighting, struggling |
Cancer may be described either as an ‘illness’ or as a ‘disease’.
When writing for a non-medical audience, do not assume people will understand what
you mean. Use recognisable and common terms. For definitions of medical terms, please
refer to the glossary at www.macmillan.org.uk/glossary
| Non-medical audience | Medical audience |
|---|
| bowel cancer | colo-rectal cancer |
| breast removal | mastectomy |
| skin cancer | melanoma |