Book Reviews: Cancer Reads

Getting Well Again

O.Carl Simonton M.D

When my buddy Geoff Coombes and I conceived the Tour de Cure cycling foundation to raise money to cure cancer, we had many options as to who we could donate our money, but we elected to cure cancer. Once that decision had been made I wanted to learn more about this beast. I was actually handed a copy of this book early on in my clueless state with regards to cancer. I couldn't have asked for a better book to start with. 

In this revolutionary book, the author profiles the typical cancer personality. He talks about how an individual's reaction to stress and other emotional factors can contribute to the onset and progress of cancer. He talks about how positive expectation, self awareness and self care can actually contribute to survival. He talks through techniques for learning positive attitudes, relaxation, visualisation, goal setting, managing pain, exercise and also how food and nourishment can hinder or enhance recovery from cancer. It's a very good book to read to give you an understanding of what can be done to fight cancer or prevent it. 

You Can Conquer Cancer: prevention and management

Ian Gawler

This book was first published in 1984. It sold more than 150,000 copies worldwide and has been translated into different languages. It's become a classic in the area of cancer management and survival. The latest edition is completely updated. It contains whole sections which provide important new information and self help techniques around the holistic approach to cancer. It emphasises nutrition, the power of the mind, meditation and how important family and support groups are.

The author was a young decathlon athlete who had to have his right leg amputated when faced with bone cancer in 1975. The cancer returned again later that year. Against almost impossible odds, he recovered and went on to found Australia's first lifestyle based cancer self help support programme in 1981. 

I was put onto this book by a partner in the Tour de Cure who had met Ian Gawler and been to a retreat in Australia with the author during a time when his wife was battling breast cancer. This is a good book to add to your reading list and I highly recommend it from two perspectives - firstly it's a good book and secondly, from my understanding of people who know the author, it's written with solid research and good meaning. 

Anti-Cancer: a new way of life

David Servan-Schreiver

This is probably the best book that I have read thus far on cancer and what can be done to prevent or deal with it. The author was a dedicated scientist and doctor who was diagnosed with brain cancer. When this happened, naturally his life changed. He confronted what medicine knows about the illness and the little known workings of the body's natural cancer fighting abilities and decided to marshall his own will to live. In a 15 year journey from disease and relapse into scientific exploration and finally into health, he combined his memoirs into this concise explanation into what makes cancer cells survive and what can inhibit them. He draws on both conventional and alternative ways to slow and prevent cancer.  

This book is a must read for anybody who is living with cancer or who is interested in what can be done to prevent it. The author talks about why the traditional Western diet creates the condition for disease and what can be done to develop an anti-cancer diet. It shows you the right blend of traditional and alternative health care and how that can be used in the right manner to hinder or inhibit the production of cancer cells. It's well written, well researched and well documented. Being written by a doctor who has discovered some big gaps in traditional medicine with regards to the treatment of cancer, it is a very very good read.