Describing cancer | Fatberg weight | Word wheel | Lockdown sceptics | Zoom
With many years’ experience as a specialist oncology nurse, I have always felt strongly that it is not appropriate to describe a cancer experience with words associated with war (combat, battle, fight). Who has a choice with cancer? But what words should we use instead? Grace Dent described it well for me (British grief centres mainly around the making of sandwiches, 19 February). “Covid monster” and “ghoulish cousin, cancer” seems much more fitting – thank you.
Ann Davis
Sutton, Cheshire
• Your report on the fatberg in the London sewer (Workers clear ‘huge, disgusting’ fatberg from London sewer, 1920 February) says that it was ‘the weight of a small bungalow”. Until now, I never imagined that anybody had actually calculated the weight of a bungalow, so let’s be knowing – how did they do it, why, and what weight did they come up with?
David Evans
Market Harborough, Leicestershire
