War metaphors in cancer conversations

‘It is a “battle” to get reasonable, fair and speedy treatment and patients are “at war” with a service that is struggling to cope,’ says Robert Davies.The language and imagery used by those talking about cancer can, as Simon Jenkins suggests (When it comes to cancer spare us the war metaphors, Opinion, 29 January), cause great distress to and put pressure on patients and their families.Some time later, a friend of his was diagnosed with a very treatable cance