The cancer thing made me roll my eyes so far back into my head that I thought I might have to get a spoon in there to get them out again. It's tedious. It's sad that your dad died but everyone dies of something and cancer is so far from rare. The fact that he's had it and so did your dad isn't something you hae in common. If your dad was around it's something they'd have in common.
As someone who's had a bastard of a year with cancer and big major, who knows if you'll wake up at the end of it, surgery, I find it ridiculous. I'm not a rare beastie, neither is Ryan, or her dad or anyone else who ends up with cancer. 1 in 2 people. I think these days the rare thing would be to have no one close to you, friends, family, co-workers, yourself having cancer. I'm probably being a bit cunty about it but I'm so over cancer being a reality storyline. That said if I ever get off my boney arse and apply (and get accepted) to be on The Sewing Bee, I'm sure that the "poor cancer woman" thing would come up. I'm cunty and a hypocrite!