Saved By the Bell
- Ringing the bell to celebrate the end of cancer treatment has been a tradition at American cancer centers since 1996.
- Many cancer survivors have shared video of themselves or their loved ones ringing the bell on TikTok and other social media sites.
- For people who will never go into remission, or for those whose cancer eventually comes back, ringing the bell may cause additional anxiety.
Ringing the bell has been a tradition at American cancer centers since 1996. It marks a huge milestone in an often long and difficult journey for cancer survivors, and it can bring a sense of accomplishment, closure, and enormous relief.
Read More@nikastewartshineFinal day of ##radiation ##vlog – finally ringing the bell! 🔔 ##beatcancer♬ She Share Story (for Vlog) – å±±å£å¤•ä¾
I am officially CANCER FREE! My last day of chemo was today and I rung my bell. To God be the glory ! pic.twitter.com/Aifl1bQs6z
good trouble (@CandaceENT) June 26, 2018
Breast cancer survivor Darla Jaye was so excited about completing her last round of treatment that she broke clapper right off the bell. “I couldn’t even fathom being done, I was so overwhelmed,” Jaye told CNN. “Guess I didn’t know how strong I was!”
After 30 rounds of radiation for a fast-growing breast cancer, Jaye was understandably overwhelmed. She said she was “very, very grateful” to the medical team at Harris Health System in Houston, Texas, who she credits with saving her life.
Family and Friends
Often the videos of cancer survivors ringing the bell feature them surrounded by friends and family, who are equally excited about the occasion. Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson shared a video of her mother, Shannon, ringing the bell after completing chemotherapy. Benson wrote, “So happy for my mom finishing her last day of chemo. I love you, @shanbenson.”
‘The Nanny’ star Fran Drescher celebrates 20 years of being cancer free
“To finally ring this bell is not only a blessing but music to my ears,” Benson’s mother wrote on her own social media feed. “I know many others who’ve rung the bell and those still waiting to ring the bell.”
Bells are Bittersweet
Ringing the bell at the end of treatment is a joyous occasion for those who get to experience it, but not everyone will achieve that milestone. Those who aren’t declared cancer-free will need to face more treatment, and an uncertain future. Some people even feel ashamed that they weren’t strong enough to conquer their cancer.
Chemo Bells: A Joyous Experience Not Everyone Gets to Have
Patient advocates say, rather than being a positive experience, ringing the bell serves as a painful reminder to patients who will never finish treatment. “It’s often hard not to feel a pang of sadness or maybe even jealousy — ‘I wish that was me, I wish I could do that, I wish I could join that celebration, but I can’t,'” Katherine O’Brien, who was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer in 2009, told Today.
In a LinkedIn post, O’Brien, who is a patient advocate for Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, wrote that she finds it “insensitive to have a dance party in the infusion suite, in front of other patients who will be reporting for chemo for the rest of their lives.”
Even those who do get to ring the bell themselves may not remember the experience fondly. One study found that people who rang the bell after treatment felt more distress and anxiety afterward than those who didn’t. The authors say ringing the bell intensifies and solidifies memories of the more upsetting aspects of treatment, including side effects.
And then there are those who ring the bell with a sense of finality, only to have their cancer return months or years later.
“It's time to retire the bell-ringing ceremony in oncology practices and replace it with the celebrations that best meet our individual patients' needs,” Christopher R. Friese, PhD, RN, professor of Nursing, Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, told OncologyNurseAdvisor.
“A better option might be a thank-you card to patients and families for putting their trust into our hands. That way, all patients and families can participate equally," he suggested.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
