This fuzzy concept of hope, this feeling that something desirable can be attained, is so prevalent in the world of cancer that it takes on a holy quality that people embrace purely on the basis of faith: like, if you have it, it will sustain you through your darkest hours, and maybe even cure you. Because the word is invoked so often, hope can also feel like a lie. After all, how can you say there is always hope when clearly at some point death is imminent—where is the hope then?
