--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cancer is like a terrorist attack from…" description: "\"“Cancer is like a terrorist attack from within. You’re going along, doing your thing, you know the threat of cancer exists theoretically, but you’re no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c36/jessica-queller-84943_cancer_cancer-is-like-a-terrorist-attack-from-w_2612631.jpg" --- # Cancer is like a terrorist attack from within. You’re… ![“Cancer is like a terrorist attack from within. You’re going along, doing your thing, you know the threat of cancer exists theoretically, but you’re not thinking about it, it’s not coloring your life. After it strikes, even if it is ‘cured,’ you will always be on red alert, waiting for it to return.” quote by Jessica Queller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c36/jessica-queller-84943_cancer_cancer-is-like-a-terrorist-attack-from-w_2612631.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c36/jessica-queller-84943_cancer_cancer-is-like-a-terrorist-attack-from-w_2612631.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c36/jessica-queller-84943_cancer_cancer-is-like-a-terrorist-attack-from-w_2612631.jpg) > ““Cancer is like a terrorist attack from within. You’re going along, doing your thing, you know the threat of cancer exists theoretically, but you’re not thinking about it, it’s not coloring your life. After it strikes, even if it is ‘cured,’ you will always be on red alert, waiting for it to return.”” Jessica Queller ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cancer creates a constant state of alertness, likened to an internal terrorist attack that persists even after treatment. **In simple terms:** Cancer leaves lasting vigilance. Key Takeaway Address lingering anxiety. Themes health trauma psychology Mood anxious resilient Type medical personal development When to use this quote - counseling - support groups - mindfulness Key Concepts post‑treatment anxiety mental health Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope with hyper‑vigilance? - What strategies reduce post‑cancer anxiety? A Different Perspective Fear can dominate daily life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Red alert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-alert/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) ## Related quotes > [Most of what we know we don't really know first hand. I've never seen a cancer cell. But I trust this community of experts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/most-of-what-we-know-we-don-t-really-know-first-hand-i-ve-never-seen/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [He said she went around with her feelings out in front of her with an arm around the feelings' windpipe and a Glock 9mm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/he-said-she-went-around-with-her-feelings-out-in-front-of-her-with-an/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Apparently, I've acted like a terrorist. But I'm not a terrorist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/apparently-i-ve-acted-like-a-terrorist-but-i-m-not-a-terrorist/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [If it acts like a terrorist, if it walks like a terrorist, if it fights like a terrorist, it's a terrorist, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-lavrov/if-it-acts-like-a-terrorist-if-it-walks-like-a-terrorist-if-it-fights/) [Sergei Lavrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-lavrov/) > [I would like to be a terrorist for music education - to make a complete reform, all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/i-would-like-to-be-a-terrorist-for-music-education-to-make-a-complete/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [In the eyes of authority - and maybe rightly so - nothing looks more like a terrorist than the ordinary man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-agamben/in-the-eyes-of-authority-and-maybe-rightly-so-nothing-looks-more-like/) [Giorgio Agamben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-agamben/) > [ If it \[a country\] looks like a terrorist, if it acts like a terrorist, if it walks like a terrorist, if it fights like… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-lavrov/if-it-a-country-looks-like-a-terrorist-if-it-acts-like-a-terrorist-if/) [Sergey Lavrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergey-lavrov/) > [Every person is scared of which bomb Modi will drop at which minute. He is appearing like a terrorist. Instead of loving his people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijayashanti/every-person-is-scared-of-which-bomb-modi-will-drop-at-which-minute/) [Vijayashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijayashanti/) > [“Stop acting like a terrorist,” I snarl. “We’re better than that.” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/stop-acting-like-a-terrorist-i-snarl-we-re-better-than-that-i/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [You're like a terrorist because you captured my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-like-a-terrorist-because-you-captured-my-heart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Because on that watch list, they would be like, yeah, your name - they told me like, yeah, your name matches the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/because-on-that-watch-list-they-would-be-like-yeah-your-name-they/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [I'm stoned focus for the Zombie Apocalypse or any unexpected red alert because I'm condfident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/i-m-stoned-focus-for-the-zombie-apocalypse-or-any-unexpected-red/) C-DASH > [I hyperventilate opening a box of chocolates. I'm the most nervous guy in the world, a frightened little man on red alert from when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/i-hyperventilate-opening-a-box-of-chocolates-i-m-the-most-nervous-guy/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [Now that I have kids, I'm probably more overprotective than I've ever been. My wife's nickname for me is 'red alert.' I sometimes check…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/now-that-i-have-kids-i-m-probably-more-overprotective-than-i-ve-ever/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [“Panic bells, it's red alert There's something here From somewhere else The war machine springs to life Opens up one eager eye Focusing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nena/panic-bells-it-s-red-alert-there-s-something-here-from-somewhere-else/) Nena ## More by Jessica Queller > [“I was not sad or afraid—I was indignant. How dare she smile and spew out those horrible statistics? And scare me with chemoprevention and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-queller/i-was-not-sad-or-afraid-i-was-indignant-how-dare-she-smile-and-spew/) Jessica Queller > [“We are living in an age in which scientific advances give us new opportunities to live. Seize them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-queller/we-are-living-in-an-age-in-which-scientific-advances-give-us-new/) Jessica Queller Explore all 3 Jessica Queller quotes ## More Cancer quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [If one truly has lost hope, one would not be on hand to say so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/if-one-truly-has-lost-hope-one-would-not-be-on-hand-to-say-so/) [Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Historically, more people have died of religion than cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/historically-more-people-have-died-of-religion-than-cancer/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“Our kind of love can go into remission, but it's always waiting to return. Like the world sweetest cancer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/our-kind-of-love-can-go-into-remission-but-it-s-always-waiting-to/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Bollywood is a cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-banerjee/bollywood-is-a-cancer/) [Victor Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-banerjee/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [When people go get chemo, they're not injecting themselves with will - I have lost various loved ones to cancer, and I certainly don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-hall/when-people-go-get-chemo-they-re-not-injecting-themselves-with-will-i/) [Michael C. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-hall/) > [“the doctor hesitated before breaking the news to her. "those aren't stars. it's cancer." - forty years a smoker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lovelace/the-doctor-hesitated-before-breaking-the-news-to-her-those-aren-t/) [Amanda Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lovelace/) > [I loved you to the moon and back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-loved-you-to-the-moon-and-back/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/) Richard Doll > [I would do away with super PACs. I think it's a cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-conrad/i-would-do-away-with-super-pacs-i-think-it-s-a-cancer/) [Kent Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-conrad/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [If you are a white male, you don't deserve to live. You are a cancer, you're a disease, white males have never contributed anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-ignatiev/if-you-are-a-white-male-you-don-t-deserve-to-live-you-are-a-cancer/) [Noel Ignatiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-ignatiev/) > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) [Browse all 3,177 Cancer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Cancer is like a terrorist attack from within. You’re going along, doing your thing, you know the threat of cancer exists theoretically, but you’re not thinking about it, it’s not coloring your life. 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