Cancer

[nq:1]If I get cancer, and the doctors can't cure it, I plan to just keep busy until I die. Is there any way I can get the tv and radio news from saying that I "battled cancer"?[/nq]
Nope.
You won't stop people who don't have but who deeply fear having a condition from projecting what they would like to see onto those who actually *do* have the condition.

Cheers, Harvey
CanEng

[nq:1]If I get cancer, and the doctors can't cure it, I plan to just keep busy until I die. Is there any way I can get the tv and radio news from saying that I "battled cancer"?[/nq]
I can think of only one way to do that, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.
If you kill yourself as soon as the disease is diagnosed the news media will not be able to say that you "battled cancer".

[nq:1]If I get cancer, and the doctors can't cure it, I plan to just keep busy until I die. Is there any way I can get the tv and radio news from saying that I "battled cancer"?[/nq]
You have some kind of exaggerated sense of importance to worry that your obituary will be discussed on television reports.

Still, since obits scripts are written by someone, presumably those who know abou

[nq:1]If I get cancer, and the doctors can't cure it, I plan to just keep busy until I die. Is there any way I can get the tv and radio news from saying that I "battled cancer"?[/nq]
Can "battled" be added to the list in the thread "Obnoxious but popular buzz words of the first decade"? I know it's long-established in AmE, but it has recently become an 'expression of choice' in the British med

[nq:2]If I get cancer, and the doctors can't cure it, ... tv and radio news from saying that I "battled cancer"?[/nq]
[nq:1]You have some kind of exaggerated sense of importance to worry that your obituary will be discussed on television reports.[/nq]
I don't use my real name here. It may not be exaggerated at all. What do you think famous people do when they get old and tired? Many of the

[nq:1]That will work for the one my family submits to the local paper, but I'm thinking about tv news shows, ... me, inject me. I plan to just lie there, then go home. I don't want to be accused of battling.[/nq]
But I suspect that your immune system will battle the cancer whether you want it to or not, unless you take something to suppress that system. Thus, it would not be inaccurate to say

[nq:1]Can "battled" be added to the list in the thread "Obnoxious but popular buzz words of the first decade"? I ... in the British media. If they HAVE to use it, why can't they do it properly, and say "battled against"?[/nq]
'Battle' can take a direct object, and 'battled the elements' sounds ok to me. But I quite agree about 'battled cancer'. Yeah - let's add it.

I hope the O.P. IS

[nq:2]Can "battled" be added to the list in the thread ... why can't they do it properly, and say "battled against"?[/nq]
[nq:1]'Battle' can take a direct object, and 'battled the elements' sounds ok to me. But I quite agree about 'battled cancer'. Yeah - let's add it. I hope the O.P. IS keeping a list.[/nq]
In my old-fashioned BrE, "battle" - by itself - is not used a verb. It requires a

[nq:2]'Battle' can take a direct object, and 'battled the elements' ... add it. I hope the O.P. IS keeping a list.[/nq]
[nq:1]In my old-fashioned BrE, "battle" - by itself - is not used a verb. It requires a preposition, such as "against" or "with".[/nq]
You aren't old-fashioned enough. From the OED:
battle, v.1
3. trans. To give battle to, fight against, assail in battle. Alsofig.

[nq:1]You aren't old-fashioned enough. From the OED: battle, v.1 3. trans. To give battle to, fight against, assail in battle. ... battaile him that scornes to iniure thee. 1765 TUCKER Lt. Nat. I. 39 The work..of battling the opinions of others.[/nq]
[nq:2]On the other hand, "fight" can be a noun, a ... this. I just don't like the AmE preposition-less "to battle"![/nq]
Interesting!
But