Decoding Positive and Negative Terms in a Cancer Diagnosis

English and Medicine are not always the most complimentary areas.

Patients are told by their doctors that:

• The disease has progressed – patients are happy, progress is a good word – but doctors mean that the disease has worsened
• The lymph nodes are positive – patients are happy, positive is a good word – but doctors mean that the cancer has spread beyond the primary organ
• HER2 is positive – patients are happy, positive is a good word – but doctors mean that the cancer is more aggressive
• KRAS is positive – patients are happy, but negative KRAS is better
• EGFR is mutant – patients are sad, but mutant is better

It is important to explain the terminology to the patient and their support members. Most times during the first consultation, after the patient hears that the cancer diagnosis is confirmed, they shut down internally. They do not hear most things after that.