Episode 44: Rethinking cancer fears with David Ropeik

Few health risks conjure deeply held fears as effectively as cancer. Most of us have someone close to us who has been taken by the disease, but risk communications expert David Ropeik wants us to reconsider the scope of our fears.

Drawing on decades of research and his new book, Curing Cancerphobia, David unpacks why cancer—now a treatable or chronic condition in many cases—still looms larger in our psyches than heart disease, which actually claims more lives each year.

He explains how fear drives unnecessary screenings, unproven preventions, and even aggressive treatments for cancers that might never have done harm, and reveals the psychological roots of that fear—from the sense of lost control to the visceral dread of pain and suffering.

Throughout the conversation, David draws on key insights from the psychology of risk perception:

• Control vs. Imposed Risk: We fear risks we can’t control (cancer) more than those we feel responsible for (heart disease).

• Fear First, Think Second: Our brain’s instinctive “uh-oh” response precedes rational thought, making early judgments emotionally charged and often distorted.

• Right-Sizing Fear: By pausing to let rational thinking catch up—acknowledging the “risk perception gap”—we can make healthier, more balanced choices.

Show notes and resources mentioned: https://www.reconsidering.org/p/episode-44-rethinking-fears-of-cancer