“The things we don’t talk about” Psychosocial Challenges in Oncology Social Work University House, Australian National University, Canberra REGISTER NOW Cancer by nature can be confronting, uncomfortable, stressful, and life-changing. There is a language that often accompanies it such as ‘survivor’, ‘battle’, ‘positive thinking’, ‘resilience’, ‘journey’, ‘empowerment’. Language such as anguish, disfigurement, intractable pain, shame, unloved ones, distressing death, and despair are much less likely to be used.  As social workers, there are times when we must facilitate conversations that…