A patient who was recovering from colon surgery was once talking to his nurse about cancer. This nurse said, in reference to a certain issue, “You know, some people think cancer is a disease that good people get.” There have been a number of scientific papers spelling out a clear link between certain personality types and susceptibility to cancer. None of the researchers believe that personality or emotional factors cause cancer, but rather that these factors play a role in making people more susceptible to cancer, she said. She also said that a “nice” personality appears to be associated with a greater risk of cancer. Such people are willing to compromise their own desires in order to make others happy; they take a tolerant attitude toward their own needs, frustrations and anger, and they avoid making friends, family or strangers unpleasant. The greater risk of cancer is linked to a combination of personality traits. Some researchers have begun to use the term “Type C” to refer to this combination of people, just as behavioral psychologists and cardiologists have coined the term “Type A” personality for the personality factors associated with heart disease. What is a “Type C” personality? The term “Type A” was coined by cardiologists Myrna Friedman and Raymond Rosenman in their famous 1947 book “Type A Behavior and Your Heart”; Type A personalities are inclined to explode with hostility, are impatient, aggressive and often highly competitive. Type B personalities are the opposite, patient and not very competitive. While the image of Type C personality may be the exact opposite of Type A, Type B and Type C may appear to be similar because they both have the virtue of calmness and gentleness on the surface. However, further research has shown that Type B and Type C personalities are the opposite. underneath the calm exterior, Type C personalities retain great, unexpressed frustration and hostility, in addition to the depression and disappointment they may have. Type C personalities actually keep strong emotions actively suppressed, or they are completely unaware that such strong emotions are being unconsciously suppressed. This type of person we define clinically as a woman who never loses her temper out of anger, or who does not lose her temper more than twice in her life. This extreme suppression of anger was confirmed by their husbands. This condition was much more common in cancer patients than in controls. Type C personality types are cooperative, non-arbitrary, patient, suppress their bad emotions (especially anger), and accept or submit to outside authority. The opposite of the Type A personality behavior pattern, which has been shown to be a predictor of coronary heart disease. A superficial interpretation of Type C personality research might give the impression that you are more likely to get cancer if you suppress your anger, and more likely to get a heart attack if you let your anger out. This is not exactly the case, and the truth lies somewhere in between. A lifetime of suppressing anger is not good for health (Type C), nor is involuntarily “acting out” anger (Type A). Being aware of anger in your daily life and expressing it appropriately can lead to better balance, satisfaction and health.