{"id":30,"date":"2026-09-06T15:14:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T19:14:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/?page_id=30"},"modified":"2026-09-06T15:41:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T19:41:14","slug":"book","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/about\/book\/","title":{"rendered":"From Whispers To Shouts: The Ways We Talk About Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It\u2019s hard today to remember how recently cancer was a silent killer, a dreaded disease about which people rarely spoke in public. In hospitals and doctors\u2019 offices, conversations about malignancy were hushed and hope was limited. In this deeply researched book, Elaine Schattner reveals a sea change\u2014from before 1900 to the present day\u2014in how ordinary people talk about cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Whispers to Shouts<\/em> examines public perception of cancer through stories in newspapers and magazines, social media, and popular culture. It probes the evolving relationship between journalists and medical specialists and illuminates the role of women and charities that distributed medical information. Schattner traces the origins of patient advocacy and activism from the 1920s onward, highlighting how, while doctors have lost control of messages about cancer, survivors have gained visibility and voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book\u2019s final section lays out provocative questions facing the cancer community today\u2014including distrust of oncologists, concerns over financial burdens, and disparities in cancer treatments and care. Schattner considers how patients and their loved ones struggle to make decisions amid conflicting information and opinions. She explores the ramifications of so much openness, good and bad, and asks: Has awareness backfired? Instead, Schattner contends, we need greater understanding of cancer\u2019s treatability.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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one of eighteen books Lilith Magazine loved this year<\/a> (2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“a powerfully illuminating narrative of how things changed over the last century or so, both thorough and compelling.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— The Baffler<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“a fascinating book” with myriad and “surprising insights from our long and tortuous relationship with cancer” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Ron Winslow, New Books Network<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“a cri de coeur<\/em> for a more upbeat assessment of past and future efforts to control the disease” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Barron Lerner, author of The Breast Cancer Wars: Hope, Fear, and the Pursuit of a Cure in Twentieth Century America<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“fascinating, enlightening, and, despite its difficult topic, even inspiring”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Knight Science Journalism program director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“a comprehensive and enlightening cultural and political history of cancer care in America”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Sandeep Jauhar, New York Times<\/em> best-selling author of My Father’s Brain<\/em> and Heart: A History<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“a cultural history that considers evolving societal views about cancer\u2014including fear and silence\u2014and their impacts on patients”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Martha Anne Toll, Lilith Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

book group discussion questions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

corrections to the first edition<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s hard today to remember how recently cancer was a silent killer, a dreaded disease about which people rarely spoke in public. In hospitals and doctors\u2019 offices, conversations about malignancy were hushed and hope was limited. In this deeply researched book, Elaine Schattner reveals a sea change\u2014from before 1900 to the present day\u2014in how ordinary … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-30","page","type-page","status-publish"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74,"href":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30\/revisions\/74"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elaineschattner.com\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}