I love your comments and share your sentiments.
In addition to survivor, I dislike the expression "battling cancer". It seems to me that cancer fights us. For some, no matter how hard they "fight", cancer takes over. We fight through the treatments, as harsh as they often are, and hope for the best. We try to take care of our bodies by eating well, exercising, etc., but we don't know, if those things will stave off cancer. It seems to have a mind of its own.
I don't think of myself as fatalistic, but realistic. Carpe Diem!