Please Stop Using Cancer as a Plot Device
"Not only is cancer annoyingly prevalent in movies, it is often portrayed inaccurately. Afterreviewing many cancer-themed movies, one researcher found that the most common types of cancer--lung, breast, prostate, and colon--are hardly ever seen in movies. Instead, the author argues, writers opt for "cleaner" types of cancer like leukemia and brain cancer, which gives the illusion that these types are more common than they actually are.
Even thoughtful, well-done cancer movies still don't often even hint at the types of issues patient's actually face. And, as one writer points out, the character with cancer usually dies. But in actuality, more than half of people who are diagnosed with cancer will live for at least another five years.
While fictional works about cancer are typically pessimistic about a person's chances to survive, the mass media is exactly the opposite. After reviewing 436 articles from a variety of new sources, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that the mass media under-reports negative stories and plays up positive stories about cancer treatments."
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