Despite the large volume of feature films dealing with the subject, the truth is that most offer an unreal image of the cancer disease, and very few show the real possibilities of cure, according to a study carried out by researchers at the University of Rome. “La Sapienza”.
While there are more and more advances in the treatment of cancer and the possibilities of a cure are greater, the survival of the affected protagonists is a rare event in the cinema . “The fact that the person does not manage to overcome the disease and dies is, on occasions, useful for the plot of the film”, argues Luciano de Fiore, who has presented the results of his work at the Congress of the European Society of Medicine Oncology held in Vienna (Austria). “Patients in movies don’t usually survive. Fortunately, this is starting to look different in real life,” he adds.
The researchers analyzed 82 films focused on people with cancer. In recent years, feature films have dealt with different aspects of the disease, from the epidemiology and environmental causes of cancer, in films such as Erin Brockovich , to the economic implications of therapies and the treatment of symptoms, as in Self-Defense and Choosing. a love
In the films analyzed, 40 of the characters with cancer were women and 35 men. In 21 of them the type of cancer was not mentioned. Symptoms appeared in 72 percent of the films, while diagnostic tests were mentioned in 65 percent. The most frequent treatment was chemotherapy and in 63 percent of the films the affected person did not survive.
Interestingly, Hollywood does not seem interested in the most common types of cancer. “Breast cancer does not usually appear in movies, although it has a huge impact on the female population,” explains de Fiore. “However, other cancers that are more rare, such as leukemia, lymphoma and brain tumors, predominate.”
In spite of everything, the researchers recognize that the cinema could have a very positive impact both for patients and for the doctors themselves. “The use of the big screen as a tool to tell stories about cancer can help to raise awareness about the magnitude of the problem and to publicize the new therapies available, ” says the scientist. “In addition, oncologists can become more aware of the problems they face in the therapeutic field: cancer and sexuality, relationship between the patient and the medical staff, the side effects of the therapies, etc.”
