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"Using the battle metaphor implies that if a patient fights hard enough, smart enough, and/or long enough, he or she will be able to win the war."

No it doesn't.

I imagine that the battle metaphor is comforting to some people for precisely the opposite reasons.

Being drafted into infantry (stereotypical mental image of a battle) there is likely no good outcome. The best case is probably a deeply unpleasant, emotionally and possibly physically painful, experience. The worst case outcome is death.

Ability to personally influence the outcome is limited at best. You can fight long, hard and smart and still find yourself on the losing side.

I have no direct experience of cancer but if I did, I'm not sure I would appreciate a critique of my choice of language.

If I found comfort in a metaphor then I'd hardly like for my doctor to point out that the metaphor is a cliche or a trope.




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