The term ” stigma” means “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person”. Well, this is what you get when you search for the meaning on google. But for a cancer patient, stigmas are much more.

source: http://www.stigmaconference.nih.gov/

I was recently chatting with a cancer patient on a popular forum.He was sharing his feelings with me and I was disturbed after what I learnt from the chat. It begins from the time of diagnosis. The attitudes that prevail range from denial to a drop in self-esteem. A general feeling that other people may probably now see the patient as less than what he was, or probably even avoid. A few other people pity so much that the patient himself  may start looking down upon himself, with a feeling that the greatest misfortune has fallen on him.

Ok I do agree cancer is a dreaded disease. But hey, don’t you…