American Cancer Society, Speech Example

A major problem in today’s society is that researchers and scientists have yet to discover a cure for cancer and that many of the therapeutics that are currently used are not sufficient enough to fully aid patient survival and prevent relapse. This issue is relevant to my audience because it is likely that almost everyone has a friend or family member that has been impacted by cancer either directly or by death of a loved one. The type of data or statistics that I would include in my speech to help establish the relevance of the topic include information from the Center for Disease control that explain the likelihood of getting certain cancers and how the number of cancer cases is likely to rise significantly over the next several decades.

I will use pathos in my speech by opening my discussion with a story about a woman who struggled with breast cancer. This specific example will be derived from the American Cancer Society website, although it will be explained in my own words to ensure that it will be appropriate for my audience. I will discuss her battle with the disease and anxiety over whether she would live or die. This story will emphasize the financial concerns that many cancer patients face and that many are not able to afford proper treatments. I will end the story by explaining that the woman survived thanks to the help that she received from the American Cancer Society. Without this assistance, she wouldn’t have been able to afford the expensive chemotherapy treatments that saved her life. She is thankful that she survived because now she doesn’t have to worry about the welfare of her family.

I will use logos in my speech by explaining the current gaps that are present in the development of cancer pharmaceuticals and healthcare in general that prevents doctors from developing effective treatments and cures for cancer. Then, I will explain how donations will be used by the American Cancer Society to bridge these gaps. Ultimately, I will demonstrate that donations to the American Cancer Society will help fund necessary research that will contribute to the development of a cure for cancer.

The visual aids I plan to use in my speech will be used primarily to back up the cancer facts that I discuss using a PowerPoint presentation. When I introduce my discussion by telling the story of the women who suffered through breast cancer, I will depict a picture of a woman and her family to represent the individual who is being discussed. When I discuss facts about the disease itself, including its current and future prevalence, I will highlight the facts that I believe are the most important for the audience to remember throughout my speech. When I discuss the terror of the disease, I will include images of tumors for various cancers. On the last slide, I will include the American Cancer Society logo and inform the audience how they can contribute to the cause by volunteering and by donating.

In a broad sense, I will be persuading my audience to become involved with the American Cancer Society. However, there are several ways in which this can be done. The first way, which involves no financial obligation is to participate as a volunteer. Many universities have local affiliations with the American Cancer Society and host bake sales and related fundraisers for the organization. On a larger scale, student groups organize a large fundraising event called Relay for Life, which is an overnight event that is a metaphor for the never-ending fight against cancer. Other ways to help the organization would be to donate directly, which can be done on their website, or simply by generating awareness of the disease itself. Methods of awareness include informing female friends how and when they should check for breast lumps and other kinds of tests that could be performed in the doctor’s office to check for early stage cancer.

The main idea of Nancy Duarte’s talk “The secret structure of great talks?” is that effective speeches have a solid main idea that the speaker uses to build the rest of the story around. I believe that the component of her speech that is most useful for me in structuring my persuasive speech is her discussion of Freytag’s Dramatic story structure. For the exposition stage, I will open my persuasive speech by telling the audience a story about a woman who fought cancer and won. My “rising action” will provide background about cancer in addition to statistics that indicate that there is a need for action. The climax will be how the incidence of cancer is expected to increase and how this will impact them personally. The falling action will remind the audience of a need to contribute to the development of new treatments and cures, while the denouement will be a call to action that will convince the audience that they should volunteer for or donate to the American Cancer Society.

References

American Cancer Society. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/

Breastlink. (n.d.). Patient Stories. Retrieved from http://www.breastlink.com/breast-cancer-stories/

CDC. (n.d.). Cancer Prevention and Control. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/CANCER/