"Le mal à dire dans les soins. What do linguistic taboos express in the face of illness?"

As we all know, talking about death doesn't make you die. And yet, it's never taken for granted. It remains in the realm of the unspeakable, especially in the face of serious illness. Hence the use of metaphors, periphrases, euphemisms and other discursive subterfuges to avoid it.

What do the taboos of our society say about death? If language is the reflection of our representations, what are the stakes involved in this kind of care?

Cancer is a case in point. The very word stupefies, annihilates and terrifies when a medical announcement is made. Even in death notices and obituaries, it is often replaced by the time-honored expression "long illness".

Does naming things and ailments give them a new lease on life, or does it help people at the end of life by freeing up their words? How can we be sincere without sacrificing gentleness? Does concealing reality or masking its harshness mean opting for a certain serenity?

At the risk of misunderstanding, is ambiguity the right way to maintain relationships in care? In the triangulation between sick children, parents and caregivers, the taboo of death is often exacerbated. Does discursive avoidance risk exerting additional weight and pressure on the child at the end of life?

These are just some of the questions we'll be raising with our guest speakers.

With :

• Vanessa Fall-Caillol, Palliative Care Assistant at the Montpellier Cancer Institute;
• Laurent Lemaître, pediatric oncology psychologist at Montpellier University Hospital;
• Gail Taillefer, President of the Users' Commission at Toulouse's Oncopole Claudius Rigaud;
• an oncologist;
• and the testimonies of two patients.