A Little Bit of Cancer
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22109441 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Benjamin Chin-Yee (0000-0003-0737-3603, Western University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 0 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ergo an Open Access Journal of Philosophy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2330-4014 • E-ISSN: 2330-4014 |
| Publisher | University of Michigan Library (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.3998/ergo.7972 |
| OpenAlex | W4411078841 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 113 |
Should we say a little bit of cancer? Many argue that we should avoid the phrase and instead relabel early cancers as a strategy to prevent overtreatment. Against this, I argue that we should not shy away from saying a little bit of cancer, and, moreover, that shying away misses a key opportunity to address the problem of overtreatment. Drawing on speech act theory, I examine the diagnosis of cancer as an illocutionary speech act and argue for a revisionist strategy which seeks to shift the normative force of the cancer diagnosis qua speech act. I show how this strategy offers distinct advantages vis-à-vis alternative approaches to tackling the problem of overtreatment
The Medicalization of Society
Language
The Grammar of Society
The War on Prevention
The online use of Violence and Journey metaphors by patients with cancer, as compared with health professionals
What Counts as a Disease, and Why Does It Matter
Norms in the Wild
Gender bias in shared decision‐making among cancer care guidelines
Heroes or criminals
Sick Individuals and Sick Populations
Small Tumors as Risk Factors not Disease
Defining Dysfunction
Stability and change in disease prestige
Medical Paternalism - Part 1
Doing Nothing is No Choice
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |