It is important to differentiate the miasm from the actual disease. For instance, an individual may prominently feature the cancer miasm but never in their lifetime suffer from cancer. Themiasm is not an actual disease state, but rather, a complex of constitutional characteristics and reactional tendencies which resembles the thematic pattern of the disease for which it is named. Accordingly, each of the miasms has characteristic physical and emotional symptoms which, in conjunction, announce its presence to the homeopath.