Cancer "survivor": How do you feel about this term?

I think the term has been created by the so called do-gooders, can be seen as a bit of a patronising term BUT we're all individuals and deserve respect so if we don't want to be labelled that's also fine. 

It's my dad who has stage 4 melanoma, unfortunately it doesn't look like he won't be given the option of using the term as he's high risk for any treatment , even immunotherapy is a doubtful option.

We all fight our own battles in our own ways x

I certainly agree we do fight our own battles with different things my dad tried to fight his battle with mental health but unfortunately the battle for him wasnt good he fell out of his mental hospital window and list his battle ,my mum battled with being a one parent family because of my dad spending 28 yrs in the mental hospital also she battled with lung cancer but list that battle ,I battled with bullying as a child ,I battled with rape ,domestic violence ,three bad marriages, living on a street for 6 months ,having my life threatened twice,having coeliac disease, plus all other illnesses connected to coeliac disease, being deaf ,now I'm battling breast cancer for nine more years my life has been one big battle from birth till now ,but I do have one good thing that I have battled to keep and that is my trev and my family I might have lost all the other battles but now I'm trying to stay positive with my mental health my breat cancer and all my other illnesses but I do have my trev myfamily to help me get through these battles so now I call myself a warrior in charge with my life 

I have no wish to label my beating cancer as the side effects of treatment devastating to my life now and for the rest of my time left. Cancer took my Mother, Father and one of my brothers and I became the only cancer survivor in my family. Being a survivor is more down to luck these days in identifying the disease early as our third world survival rates get worse as GPs won't pick up symptoms and send us for tests. I feel no spiritual or empowerment for beating cancer and did not fear my death on diagnoses just accepted my lot in life. We will all die of something whether cancer or other disease eventually.

I don’t use the word survivor ever.  I was diagnosed as terminal so I can’t possibly survive in my opinion..  i refer to myself  as living with terminal lung cancer or I say I’m not ill I have a condition that will one day most likely cause me to die.

I feel in a bit of limbo right now.  My cancer is stable and I’m not receiving any treatment and I won’t until the cancer starts growing again.  The treatments I’ve had in the past have left me with several side effects but on the whole I live a relatively normal existence.  My pace at doing things has dramatically reduced and my life is quite simple.  But on the whole I’m doing ok.  So no not a survivor I just live with it.

Hello everyone, 

How are you today? Have you seen this older discussion? 

How do you feel about the term "cancer survivor"? Does it give you a sense of pride our courage? Or do you think it adds to the general stigma around cancer?
@JoanneSm‍ @Csharonmary‍ @Soledad‍ @SusanMelles‍ @Shaz19561956‍ @Berniemary‍ @Sooty29‍ @samjayne‍ @Rickyc‍ @ERLCA92‍ @Gedsbones‍ @Micheleo‍ @Davidpryce‍ @Kather‍ @Sockboot90‍ @cookiesmum‍ @Nomiedu‍ 

Feel free to share your thoughts here, it's interesting to see what others think!

Take care,
Courtney

I've had early stages ovarian cancer when I was 34 and early stages lung cancer when aged 41. I only had surgery and I'm being closely monitored (check ups every 3 months). It's still unclear whether the lung cancer is related to the ovarian one, there are different opinions on this. I don't use the words "survivor" or "fighting cancer", they don't work for me because these expressions make me thing that people who die of cancer are not survivors or didn't fight, which is not the case. Also I don't see cancer as the enemy inside me that I need to fight against, even before having surgery. I hope I'm not offending anyone, this is just my humble personal opinion.

I dont use survivor I use breast cancer warrior because I will not let this cancer beat me if it hadn't of been for a chest xray I would have never found out I had it but because I was feeling very I'll with my breathing and coughing a general practitioner sent me for an x ray and they found that I had 2 lumps in each of my breasts this was 3 yrs ago I had a mastectomy on my left breast and the one on the right they drained but I have never been so scared in my life but them saying I had breast cancer hit me hard I had also radiotherapy for 6 wks very day I had protons and electrons, and the lump that they removed was under my breast bone, near to my heart so they had to take real care not to damage my heart i had 2 boosters one at the start and one at the end I had to wear a drain but that was scary incase I pulled it out so I was given a bag to Carry it in but at the finish of my treatment I rang a bell and everyone cheered but since all this I am on anastrazole and I have lymphoedema, emphysema, and I still have a few more yrs before I get the absolute all clear so I call myself a cancer warrior Tigger x

I also don't use this term. My lung cancer was fairly far along when I was diagnosed and though right now I'm doing well considering the situation, I don't consider myself as having "survived" as it likely will eventually kill me. It sounds morbid and negative, but that's the truth of my situation. I agree with others and prefer "fighter" or even just "patient". Though cancer has a significant role in my life, I don't want it to define me or my life. I'm much more than my cancer.

I feel like this is a term that was more created for people other than patients to make them feel better or more at ease than for the patients and their loved ones and the people who have truly lived and witnessed cancer. Those who have lived it know that the cancer still follows you after you've been "cured".