Why Do People Say I beat CANCER?

Question

When theres no cure

Answer 1

I actually dislike all the battle and  metaphors where cancer is concerned - fighting cancer, beating cancer, brave, courageous.

There’s an implied criticism of those who didn’t survive when people talk of ‘courage’ and cancer, or of ‘fighting’ cancer – were they not ‘brave’ enough, did they not 'fight' hard enough to 'beat' their cancer? I know many courageous people who have died of cancer.

Nobody talks about beating or fighting heart disease or a stroke, this terminology is reserved for cancer. Why? It's the stereotype of the 'brave' cancer 'victim', a stereotype I find patronising in the extreme. If I had chosen to have cancer in order to spare a child having that cancer, THAT would have been brave. Coping with cancer because that's what you've got isn't brave - you have no choice.

I didn't 'fight' my cancer, my doctors did, and they did a bloody good job, as four years on from being diagnosed with an aggressive and late stage cancer I'm fit and well with no evidence of cancer at my last check up

But  your question is really whether cancer can be 'beaten', or cured - some can. There is no guaranteed cure for any cancer. But some cancers can be cured: seven out of ten children are cured of cancer; testicular cancer, Hodgkin's disease, and many cases of leukaemia can all be cured in adults with chemotherapy, most skin cancers are cured with surgery and many cases of thyroid cancer and cancer of the larynx are cured with radiotherapy.

There are some cancers where long-term studies have shown that if they haven't returned within five years, they're not going to return; cervical cancer is an example. Such cancers can then be considered cured.

Many other cancers, such as breast cancer, cannot be considered cured as they can return at any time, even many years after treatment.

Answer 2

there is some kind of getting better, plus there people that the cancer never came back

Answer 3

you were cured, there just isn't a cure to fix it all the time.  

Answer 4

because they are still living and healthy so that means they are winning/beating cancer.  

Answer 5

because they SURVIVED, its is often called it beaten it when there are no signs of cancer in the body and its in remission. your right there's no cure all pill for cancer yet but people can still beat it.

Answer 6

I guess they mean that the cancer didn't take their life and that the cancerous cells have been eliminated so to speak.

So in the end they were able to fight the disease and fortunately were able to continue living a healthy life.

Answer 7

People say they beat Cancer when they can have it removed and maybe for the time being are Cancer free. Some people like myself have surgery and remove organs that have Cancerous cells and feel they have beat Cancer.

Answer 8

Because it's "you vs. cancer." It's like a race to see who wins, you or the cancer. I had cancer this year, and so far, it's not dormant or in remission, but gone! So I beat it with love, prayers and a lot of help from my family and friends!

Answer 9

because sometimes cancer goes dormant, and maybe there's cases where it never comes back. I'm not an expert on cancer, but lets say you had a cancerous tumor and the doctor removed it, maybe it won't grow back so you've beat cancer, it didn't kill you. Or your cancer went into remission, meaning dormant, and you were able to live to a ripe old age without it coming back and disrupting your life.  

Answer 10

When cancer cells are removed and the person doesn't die then they beat cancer.

Answer 11

radiation stops the cells from multiplying then strong medicines attempt to slow it down and sometimes kill the cells. yes there are no CURES but there are ways that chances of getting rid of it thats cure enough for me, my cousin died of cancer and my sister beat it so, people say they beat cancer because they survived a progressive disease.

Answer 12

There's no cure for the common cold, yet I can still survive it.  Thus, I have every right to say, "I beat a cold!".

Cancer is a huge struggle, and people have a hard time trying to cope with it, if it goes away, then they have every right to say, "I beat cancer!".

Answer 13

because dealing with cancer is like a war inside your body.  and people feel very proud to know that they survived such a difficult struggle