Stuff like that (even though, in light recent news involving Joan Lunden, still very real) is way too depressing and dark (http://articles.mcall.com/1997-10-01/news/3179530_1_breast-cancer-day-care-avery) for a a show that's designed to make you laugh (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19971003&id=atRRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yW8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6691,1312183). The whole thing just screamed like a desperate stunt (http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/cure-ailing-murphy-brown-article-1.775900) to keep viewers watching (http://lezgetreal.com/2014/02/tvland-101-murphy-brown-1988-1998/) just like Murphy's pregnancy (a previous attempt to "soften" her character). It was like a season long's worth of "very special episodes" (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-10-29/features/1997302059_1_breast-cancer-survivor-diagnosed-with-breast-mammograms).