We hear it all the time: Cancer is a battle, and patients have to fight in order to increase their chances of a good outcome. It’s a common message used in the media, the premise being that a person’s cancer can be eradicated if they are tough enough.

But does this put the burden of healing on patients by turning them into winners and losers? Does it saddle those who aren’t doing well with the added guilt of not having fought hard enough? And how much does a person’s attitude really matter in the grand scheme of their cancer treatment?

In this episode, we examine these question and more — plus some strategies for how patients, caregivers, and survivors can deal with mental health issues and emotional stress that can result from cancer treatment and survivorship — with Bill F. Pirl, MD, MPH, vice chair of psychosocial oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.