You wouldn't expect a serious social health issue like breast cancer to be treated with a surprising degree of understanding in a TV show about comic book heroes and villains but season three of Superman And Lois has actually done it quite well - A US series, airing on the BBC and with all episodes on their I Player for free viewing for about a month. The story arc has both its main plot for the first 11 of 13 episodes dealing with cancer. Lois Lane, (Clarke Kent/Superman's wife) discovers she has stage three breast cancer. This affects her husband severely as while able to deal with monsters and external threats he is powerless to deal with his wife's cancer. Kryptonian treatments would kill her. Lois faces chemo and later a double mastectomy and there are touching scenes with cancer support groups. The impact of Lois's diagnosis also impacts her sons (one himself a super-powered being).
The main villain of the story arc, Bruno Mannheim is himself treated as sympathetic in that he is trying out dangerous super-power cures on cancer patients including his wife, even though the side effects turn them into uncontrollable monsters - his desperate 'whatever it takes for my wife stance' contrasts with Superman's more stoic acceptance that Lois's fate is out of his control. Though referenced in the last few episodes, the Mannheim story is largely done by the 11th episode as the show uses its remaining time to set things up for season four, but it is a well handled sensitive and surprisingly mature look at the ravages of cancer on the patient and their families.
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