Breast Cancer Isn’t Funny, But Humour Can Heal

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that 1 in 8 women in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime?

Breast cancer is a serious topic. People get sick, and sometimes they die. Cancer isn’t funny at all, but can humour help?

For some people, joking about cancer feels wrong. For others, laughter helps them cope. If you’ve lost someone to cancer, it might not seem funny. But for people living with cancer, laughter can be like medicine.

Learning to laugh at life’s hard moments can make us healthier and less stressed. Laughing has many health benefits! It also helps us connect with others, see things differently, and not feel as scared.

Doctors use humour with their patients too. The Journal of Clinical Oncology says many doctors make jokes when talking about cancer. A great example is Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams, who inspired the 1998 movie Patch Adams. He used laughter therapy to help patients feel better and heal faster.

This is called “tumour humour.” It’s hard to laugh at something like cancer, but sometimes, laughing helps more than crying.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, many women will find out they have cancer, and some will begin treatment. Thankfully, many will recover, but sadly, some won’t. It’s important to respect how everyone chooses to deal with it.

Want to help support the cause? Here are some ways to get involved locally:

Raw And Reflective

One way to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is by buying the Raw And Reflective 2025 calendar.

It tells the stories of 12 brave people from our community, including our very own Charlie, who have fought cancer. It costs $30, and all the money goes to Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka, which helps ensure no one faces cancer alone...

You can grab your calendar here.

Wear Pink

An easy way to support breast cancer awareness is by wearing pink in October. Pink is the official colour for breast cancer awareness, and many groups sell pink shirts to raise money for research.

Plus, you’ll look great while supporting the cause!

#nocryingincancer