Compelling cancer research

Lets be really clear about this. What someone with cancer does to help themselves is therapeutic. It makes a difference to their disease as well as to how they feel. People with cancer who are not encouraged and helped to help themselves may well be shortening their lives.

A really effective self-help program is not just designed to help people to feel better, although it is highly likely to do this and of itself, this outcome is very worthwhile. But there is more to it. A really effective self-help program is also designed to improve survival. As such, an effective self-help program is as important in cancer medicine as surgery. Or chemotherapy. Or radiotherapy. Or any natural therapy.

In some situations what a person with cancer does to help themselves is actually even more therapeutic than these other treatments. Just as one example, the evidence shows that for a woman with early breast cancer, regular exercise increases her chances of long-term survival twice as much as chemotherapy.

This week, as Ruth and I have just completed the most recent of the series of follow-up programs called Cancer and Beyond that we present regularly, let us go Out on a Limb once again and examine findings from a major, systematic review of 4,900 published research articles. The researchers went on to identify and analyse 203 randomised controlled trials testing the use of integrative therapies for supportive care in patients receiving breast cancer treatment.

Given there still seem to be people claiming there is little or no research validation for the self-help interventions covered below, this is information that warrants being widely shared, but first,



    
   Thought for the day

Ten thousand flowers in spring, 
The moon in autumn, 

A cool breeze in summer, 
Snow in winter.


If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things,

This is the best season of your life.


   Wu-men - Zen master of the 12th/13th century




Nice title this one: The Society for Integrative Oncology Guidelines Working Group. They commissioned the development of Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Use of Integrative Therapies as Supportive Care in Patients Treated for Breast Cancer.

Practice guidelines are intended to inform clinicians and patients about safe and effective therapies.

These specific breast cancer guidelines have been developed in response to the well know fact that the majority of women affected by breast cancer do use complementary and/or integrative therapies during and beyond cancer treatment to manage symptoms, prevent toxicities, and improve quality of life.

The guidelines are based on the results of a literature search that reviewed relevant published data from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 2013. This search identified 4900 articles, of which 203 were eligible for analysis.

WHAT DID THE RESEARCH REVEAL?
In short, the conclusion reached was that “specific integrative therapies can be recommended as evidence-based supportive care options during breast cancer treatment”.

BROADLY, WHAT LIFESTYLE THERAPIES ARE RECOMMENDED?
Meditation, yoga, and relaxation with imagery are recommended for routine use for common conditions, including anxiety and mood disorders (Grade A)   A – is the highest level of evidence-based recommendation, and reducing through B, C and so on.

Stress management, yoga, massage, music therapy, energy conservation, and meditation are recommended for stress reduction, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and quality of life (Grade B).

Many interventions, 32 in all, had weaker evidence of benefit (Grade C).

Seven interventions were deemed unlikely to provide any benefit (Grade D).

WHAT ABOUT SIDE-EFFECTS?
Notably, from all these studies examining a wide range of lifestyle/integrative interventions, only one, acetyl-L-carnitine for the prevention of taxane-induced neuropathy, was identified as likely harmful (Grade H) as it was found to increase neuropathy.

Wouldn’t you love it if the side-effect profile of chemotherapy or radiotherapy was this small?

WHAT ABOUT SYNERGY?

Sadly, combined self-help programs like the ones we present, are not well researched as yet. Given that there are more variables to take into account – like the combined benefits of exercise, and meditation, and exercise, and… and… ; that type of research is far more complex and far more expensive to conduct, so we will need to wait for that data.

At present, all that can be said is that the majority of intervention/modality combinations (n = 138) did not have sufficient evidence to form specific recommendations (Grade I).

WHAT ABOUT SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS? Here are some details…

Meditation [Grade B evidence found] including mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga [Grade B], and stress management programs [Grade B] are recommended to reduce longer term anxiety both during and after treatment.


Longer stress management groups are likely more effective than short home study programs.


Meditation [Grade A) particularly mindfulness-based stress reduction, is recommended for improving mood and depression during radiation therapy and post treatment.

Yoga alone [Grade A)and relaxation [Grade A) are also recommended for improving mood and depressive symptoms during radiation therapy and chemotherapy and in the presence of fatigue.


Massage [Grade B) is recommended for improving mood disturbance in post treatment survivors.

Healing touch [Grade C) can be considered for improving mood in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Meditation [Grade A) is recommended for improving quality of life, while relaxation and guided imagery [Grade C), qigong [Grade C], reflexology [Grade C], stress management [Grade C], and yoga [Grade C] can also be considered.

LIMITATIONS
There are insufficient data from existing trials to make guideline-level recommendations on interventions to prevent and/or treat side effects and symptoms related to cognition, anaemia, neutropenia/leukopenia, alopecia, cardiomyopathy and adherence to standard treatment.

Many trials available for review shared common limitations, including small study sizes, poorly reported or unstated delineation of outcomes (ie primary, secondary, or exploratory outcomes), lack of standardised outcome measures, use of surrogate measures with limited clinical relevance, omission of toxicity and adverse event data, inadequate statistical methods, and lack of blinding and/or appropriate control groups.

THE FUTURE
The researchers commented that to improve the validity of future studies, it is critical that trials measure clinically relevant and standardised outcomes using validated tools and that they are analysed with accepted and appropriately chosen statistical methods to better allow for pooled analyses.

THIS AUTHOR’S CONCLUSION
This major review investigated the role Integrative Therapies play in supportive care for people affected by cancer. In the result there is very useful information that clearly validates that the self-help approach makes a significant contribution to quality of life and general care of women affected by breast cancer. On e could imagine that the evidence for that is strong enough to suggest that a well run program teaching and supporting these modalities needs to be a part of standard care..

Notably, most of the modalities recommended come under the banner of what we would call Lifestyle Medicine.

Meditation has the best level of evidence for the widest number of benefits.

Take up on these self-help principles generally and you are highly likely to have a better experience when diagnosed, treated and recovering from cancer.

What we need urgently now is for the focus of future research to hone in on the potential benefits Lifestyle Medicine offers to actual recovery. There is already a good body of evidence for the therapeutic benefits of some Lifestyle – based therapies such as nutrition and exercise, but it would be good to see all of that evidence collated and evaluated clearly.

And equally as clearly, more research is needed.

WHERE ARE THE STUDIES ON THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF MEDITATION? 

But the big question remains.

With so many people affected by cancer meditating, why no outcome studies?

Come on Cancer Council.
Breast Cancer Network.
You have the research funds. Lets find out just how beneficial to survival meditation may be ….

Many, many people would welcome and support that research.

REFERENCE

Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Use of Integrative Therapies as Supportive Care in Patients Treated for Breast Cancer , Greenlee H et al. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 2014 (50): 346-358.

To read the full reference CLICK HERE

RELATED BLOG
The Cancer Council, the survivors and the book

NEWS


We head to New Zealand again this week to present the 8 day cancer self-help program Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing in the beautiful southern island town of Wanaka.


What an environment for healing!


For the next post, that will come in 10 days, I will report on this program and the one we have just completed at the Foundation, Cancer and Beyond.



COMING EVENTS with RUTH and MYSELF

MEDITATION RETREAT

Meditation and the Inner Journey        8th  – 12th  June     Yarra Valley

This retreat brings together 2 powerful experiences - the deep natural peace of meditation, and a gentle process of introspection that will help you reconnect with your own inner wisdom.

For thousands of years, people have removed themselves from the busyness of daily life and entered into a retreat situation to meditate. Come, join like-minded people, be inspired, be renewed. Immerse yourself in meditation.

Be guided, be nurtured. Take the opportunity to reconnect with your own inner wisdom and natural great peace.

FULL DETAILS  -  Click here

You Can Conquer Cancer turns 30

“You don’t know me but  ….  “ Ruth and I were walking down the main street of outback Burketown recently when this middle-aged lady rather shyly, almost apologetically approached us “ …  your book saved my life”. Meetings like this happen to us regularly and sometimes in the most exotic or unlikely of places.

This then is a blog about inspiration; and a tip – you do not need cancer to be inspired! Speaking personally, I find it incredibly inspiring to have people come up to me literally all around the world with tales of how You Can Conquer Cancer helped them or someone they loved.


It is actually deeply humbling to know that a book I put together and was launched 30 years ago this October by Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop, patron of the Cancer Council, has remained in continuous print since. It has been translated into over a dozen languages and sold around 300,000 copies.

The latest edition is about to be printed in the lands of the superpowers - USA, China, England and Russia - amongst other countries.

Pausing to consider why this might be so, it seems clear to me that while the book had its genesis in my own experience of recovering from cancer and while there is good science behind it, the book was clarified through the intense and indeed, intimate experience of helping so many other people affected by cancer through the groups that I was personally involved with.


Through these groups it became possible to notice what worked for people – what words worked, what diet, what form of meditation, how to be positive in the face of major adversity; indeed what being positive really means, how to use the power of the mind for healing and so on.

So the real credit for the book goes to all those who attended the hundreds of groups that have come together over these last 30 years. The hope is that each of you who has been involved can take some pride in the book and the fact that what we learnt together has been of so much benefit to so many others.

This post is intended as a celebration and a source of real inspiration, but first

        Thought for the day


   Greater than the tread of mighty armies 
   is an idea whose time has come

         
                       Victor Hugo 








As the 30th anniversary of You Can Conquer Cancer approached, many people wrote to me sharing their experiences with the book and so I have recounted several of them here, using initials for most (my choice), rather than full names. It makes for a long article, intended to be dipped into as a precious resource of inspiration. Something you can share with others and come back to yourself when the need to be reminded of the
possibilities is there.

Many thanks to all who contributed, and a special gratitude to the book’s publisher Michelle Anderson, who told me she felt goose bumps run down her spine when she first read it and has been such a delight to work with over these past 30 years. 

Here then are the stories

Healthy living, less stress
30 yrs ago this book was recommend to me not because of cancer but as a guide to living a healthier life and providing a way forward through the stress of the many years of constant major grief I was experiencing.

"You Can Conquer Cancer" and "Peace of Mind " have been my "go to" books over all these years. Meditation has kept me sane and grounded through the toughest of crises. Last year I realised that stress was again insidiously creeping in and taking hold of me culminating in a diagnosis of a pre cancerous condition.

How to deal with it ? An easy decision - straight back to "You Can Conquer Cancer" and a reassessment of life. Your last two blogs re healing have been enormously helpful - thank you !

I also delight in that recently my 25yr old son expressed an interest in relaxation meditation and your books provided the tools he needed to learn these vital life skills

Kind Regards
G S

Taking ownership of health and healing
I first read this book in the late 1980’s when my cousin was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Many years later in 2004, the book was sitting on my shelf when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. My diagnosis was a huge shock, but knowing that “there was something else out there” that I could do to help myself was very empowering and was a huge boost to my confidence at a very difficult time.

I bought the latest edition of the book and devoured it; using it to support the treatment that I was having through my specialist. I learnt to meditate, reassessed the priorities in my life and paid great attention to what I was eating and drinking. Under the guidance of the book I took ownership of my health and healing and of my life as a whole.

I now give this book to friends, family and acquaintances upon a cancer diagnosis. I found it to be life-changing and I want to share the wisdom and hope with others, especially at that vulnerable stage following a cancer diagnosis.

I highly recommend the book to anyone facing, or caring for someone with cancer. However, the contents are so clearly outlined and so easily digestible that I feel that the book is just as pertinent for anyone who wishes to reassess and turn their life around with or without a current health challenge.

BB

A little book of hope
Without this little book of hope I am sure I would not be here today.

In 1996 I was diagnosed with a grade 4 non hodgkins lymphoma with spleen, skin and bone marrow involvement. It goes without saying that at that time I had very little hope apart from palliative chemo, which would perhaps give me a little more time, it was the best I option I had.

We were first given “You Can Conquer Cancer” about 1 month after diagnosis and it shone like a beacon for me in what can only be described as a very dark time for myself and my wife.

My wife read the book in one night, she had a eureka moment and thought that this book had been written about me. We jumped in head first. It took some time to clear out the cupboards and source organic supplies. It was 1996 and organic food was a lot harder to source, it was certainly not integrated into supermarkets etc like it is today.

The information in You Can Conquer Cancer is so incredible, it really is a self help book with trusted and proven advice to follow, advice which we did follow to the letter.

We did follow up with a ten day Residential Program at the Yarra Valley Living Centre to fine tune what we were doing but really ”You Can Conquer Cancer” provided a step by step guide for us to follow.

I know that in no small way the diet and meditation that Ian recommends has enabled me to be cancer free for 18 years, I continue to follow the lifestyle that was advocated all those years ago and like Ian and so many others I am living proof of its efficacy.

We recommend this book to anyone who contacts us re my recovery. It is such a common sense, achievable instruction manual which is still relevant all these years later.
Congratulations Ian and our heartfelt thanks for what you have done for us and so many others.
R and J L

Three gifts
‘You Can Conquer Cancer’ gave me

Hope when I had lost it

Power when I felt very small

Inner strength when my world imploded.

A profoundly important and life-saving book with PRACTICAL IDEAS!!!!
The first port of call for anyone with a cancer diagnosis.

Liz Vercoe

YA author ‘Keep Your Hair On!’ and ‘The Grief Book – Strategies for Young People’

Hope, courage and belief
In 1998, six months after my wonderful husband of 32 years died suddenly from a massive heart attack (he went to golf and did not come home) I was diagnosed with cancer.

At the time I really did not care much whether I lived or died.

I had an operation, two large tumours were removed, and I was told they were gone and the cancer would not come back again.  The pathology showed I had leiomyosarcoma – which is a very rare smooth muscle cancer.

I realise now the doctors did not know very much about this cancer and my oncologist had not treated a case before.  I was told I would not require further scans or treatment, and so very slowly my life started to feel normal again and I realised my family needed me – losing their father created a  huge hole in their lives.

By 2003 I was planning a future to be married again.  I knew I did not feel well, I was bloated and uncomfortable.  I finally found a doctor who listened to me and sent me for a scan.  The cancer was back with a vengeance and had spread to other parts of my body.

My oncologist delivered the news “I had six months to live, twelve if I was lucky, and there was nothing anyone could do for me.”  This time I was devastated, I wanted to live.  I did not know where to turn.  I met my girlfriend for lunch and she said “don’t cry love and she handed me a copy of “You Can Conquer Cancer.”

I had never heard of Ian or The Gawler Foundation, but somehow this seemed as though it was something I must do.  I rang The Foundation and was about the last person to be accepted for the 10 day Life and Living Program, there was not even room for my partner to attend as a support person.

I attended the May 2003 session and to start with I could not stop crying, but by the end of those wonderful 10 days the tears had disappeared and I came away from The Foundation with some HOPE.  With the hope comes courage and the will to keep searching and the belief that I was not powerless.

There was so much I could do to help myself, but because there was so much cancer in my body, I knew I needed a surgeon who was willing to operate to give me a chance.  It was a long journey over the next two years.  I continued the Gawler program faithfully until it became a comforting way of life for me.

The cancer did not progress in the way it was supposed to do.   I consulted with four oncologists and eight surgeons in Melbourne, who all told me “there was a high risk of morbidity and mortality and operating would not alter the course of the disease.”

I travelled to China for Traditional Chinese Medicine and there I met an American surgeon who told me the operation I needed was being done in the States.  This gave me new hope and a belief that there must be someone in Australia who could do it.  Finally I found a Professor in Sydney, a wonderful man, who operated and said everywhere he saw cancer he took it.  It was a long recovery from a massive operation, but throughout, with my partner’s help, I thrived on the food and juices, I meditated continually and I did not think about “not getting well.”

Today I am living quite well with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – no one is sure how this turned up, but it is a work in progress and it has been completely stable for the last nine years.  There is no sign of the sarcoma, if there was, I would not be alive today.

I am truly grateful to Ian and Ruth for giving me another chance at life, and the knowledge you really can conquer cancer.   Every week there is a so-called new scientific report about cancer breakthrough, and I say to my family “Ian has been saying that for years”.

With loving thanks,

V D

My healing “Bible”
When I met my chemical oncologist for first time I found out that before the surgery my survival chances would have been 20% and after the surgery they would have been raised to 50%. So, my wonderful oncologist told me that they – the medical staff – would fight for those 50% and I would be responsible for the balance. I felt I was in a black hole! How would I balance out all the knowledge of those highly qualified specialists!?

I read the book You Can Conquer Cancer for first time in December 2002. I was recovering from a big surgery of an advanced and aggressive ovarian cancer and I had a three week-holiday in New Zealand between two sessions of chemotherapy. I did not understand much of the book’s content. I only had in my mind that this was my last holiday as I was going to die.

And then, in February 2003, I started a twelve week “Cancer Self Help Group” activity and Siegfried helped me to understand the book, chapter by chapter. The book soon became my Bible and I found out the way to balance the 50% of  responsibilities to keep myself alive and happy.

I have definitely “lived” with cancer for the last 12 years due to my wonderful oncologists and your philosophy of life which I have totally embraced. I feel compelled to add that the retreats, workshops & conferences that I attended at the Foundation were exceptionally useful.

There was a special workshop I have to mention: “A New Way of Living” in May 2013. At that time, I was feeling quite right and in a good mood. During Q&A time, I did ask you what you were going to do in the unfortunate case of a cancer relapse. Your answer was totally unexpected: “I will read my book.” I said: “I did it many times”. And you said: “Do it now, when you are not in crisis mode, and read the last version.”

That was the best advice I have had from you. The 2013 edition of the book was and still is a revelation for me. I read it with such great joy! I am impressed!

One more little thing: I would like to mention the Lady A. I met her at the meditation sessions at Nancy’s place. She had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer just when you had published your first book and was in her late sixties at that time. She had decided that if you did it, she also could do it and had followed your steps religiously.

When I first met her she was 98 year-old, free of cancer and sharing with everyone that she was alive due to you and your book. She passed away peacefully a couple of weeks before her centenary.

The one handed typist
In 1981 I found a lump in my breast. What made me check I do not know. It was not the norm then. I was not concerned, my Dr and the surgeon both thought it a cyst, however, I went to hospital for a biopsy and learnt the awful truth.

I cannot explain the feelings I had, only another cancer patient would understand.
My whole family was blown away. I was only 34 and back then assumed hopeless.
I had three children, Tracey, 13, Lindy, 11 and Penny 6, and my husband stuck with me all the way.

We made the decision to change our lifestyle to lots of fresh air and the peace of a small farm, and whilst I was in hospital having the breast removed we bought a hobby farm. I gave away all commitments and concentrated on getting well.

After a week in hospital the full impact hit me. I had put off showering, but when I finally did look down where my breast had been, it was gut wrenching. I will always remember the feeling at that time of having no femininity (it did return though).

It was a lonely time, friends avoided me; I loved my netball and missed it. I finally did get back to it but would cover my boob with my arm whilst playing.

I worried I would not see my girls grow up; I spent as much time as I could with them trying to be “normal”.

I went to Peter Mac for 6 weeks of radiation treatment, three of those weeks we tried to make it a family holiday for the children. I travelled from a flat in Frankston each day.

I very slowly accepted things, for a while every lump on my body was suspect in my sensitive state. My surgeon, reassured me on many occasions, he was very good to me. I tried to find someone who had survived, but patient confidentiality stopped me at every turn. My Mum happened to meet a lady who had breast cancer 30 years ago and obviously survived and this was a turning point me.

I found walking in the bush soothing so spent a lot of time there.

To fill out my bra I used a pair of socks. Every morning you wake with cancer on your mind, then, one day I realised I had forgotten my socks! Wow, I was very excited. This meant it was off my mind for a short time; this also was a big step, as it could only get longer.

Later whilst on holiday in Merimbula I lost my prosthesis in the water and the girls had great fun duck diving for it. I still laugh about that.

My scar and mind began to heal and a new operation was being trialled to reconstruct the breast. I agreed only if nothing foreign was put in my body, so a muscle was brought around under my arm and shaped like a breast. It was not done without trouble as I got gangrene in the wound when I returned home. My surgeon to my rescue again.

The girls would check me out when having a bath, not a pretty sight, but took it in their stride; they do not remember now, thankfully. We celebrated anniversaries yearly and still do.

Through all this I got in touch with the Gawler Foundation, Ian had just started his healing work and it struck a chord with me. I have his tapes and I played them over and over again, and his people were always very supportive. I still remember hearing the cars go by as he was taping. I will always appreciate the help he gave me.

He taught me to use my mind in the healing process, each time I ordered a cassette a hand written note was always enclosed to ask how I was, this helped me so much.

After trial and error I found carrot juice useful; I bought carrots by the bagful. I turned orange at one stage, and Vitamin B also assisted me.

I prayed a lot and church was soothing. I do have faith in God.

I was a jogger for years, and when I was coming good I started again. I had lost all confidence and frightened my new boob would fall off, but I persisted.

I would search for positives every day. A rainbow would inspire me. I would look at big gum trees with branches broken off and think, they grow big and strong after loosing a limb, so I can too. I had a poster I looked at every morning, ”Help me to remember Lord, that nothing will happen today, that you and I can't handle together”

Ten years after radiation I lost the use of part of my arm and right hand, treatment not as precise back then, and a nerve was damaged, continual pins and needles and numbness. I do not feel burns and cuts so a few scars on my hand.

So onto the next stage, I enrolled at TAFE to get dexterity by typing with my left hand. My teacher Judy was a great help and support. I painstakingly started to learn to write left-handed, I still have trouble with the “z” back to front. Doing things with one hand is frustrating, but a small price to pay.

I now ride a lot and all controls are on the left hand side, I have even ridden to Sydney and back.

I did write to “freedom of information” and found out I had a very aggressive cancer.

There is a lot of support out there now. Use it. You will know in your gut what is right for you. It is so nice to see the very high percentage of cure nowadays.

I write these words to encourage others to do it your way, only you know what will work for you, go with your own gut feeling.

I am ecstatic to have seen my girls grow into responsible caring adults with their own children. I did not think I would see that happen.

I have been blessed.

M S

Moving on and helping others
Eleven years ago I was diagnosed at a young age with an aggressive and rare form of breast cancer, and my whole life was turned upside down.

Soon after I was diagnosed I went to find some answers, anything that would help me figure out what I could do to help myself. I came across the book by Ian Gawler ‘You Can Conquer Cancer’ and a light bulb went off. I opened the book and read “This is a book about what works. What works if you want to fight for your life. Recover from cancer. Prevent illness. Be really well. Find enduring peace and happiness.”

In that moment I remember feeling so happy and so relieved because I knew I had the tools within this book to begin the fight for my own life I and I gave myself permission to be in control. My life changed in that instant and for the better. If I had not read those words that particular day and really resonated with what Ian had written, I may not be here today.

I have been so inspired by this that I have created a health and wellness online store dedicated to helping people navigate cancer and ‘You Can Conquer Cancer’ is of course top of our book list. Thank you Ian for your years of tireless work and research in this field, I and thousands of others around the world are truly grateful that you chose to share the story of your survival."

Yasmin Farry
mywisebody.com

Third time lucky! 
I had Breast cancer in 2000 and after a total mastectomy and loads of positive thinking etc I survived that and I had a total recovery. I had a brain cancer in 2004 requiring surgical removal and this was followed in 2005 by a diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma which is incurable. This required drastic chemo and stem cell transplants and I was out of action for many months.

During this time a friend gave me a copy of “You Can Conquer Cancer” and this was my turning point. I began reading it and the more I read the more confident I became. I began meditation, something I had never done before, I found I was able to focus on getting over this terrible thing and putting it behind me. I read it and read it. I took it with me everywhere I went and gradually I found myself being able to cope with my cancer.

I am sure that the reason I am alive today is because my friend gave me the book 9 years ago when I was at my lowest time. I am now in complete remission and I never go away from home without my “You Can Conquer Cancer” book and I am now 100% certain of the power of one’s mind.

Thank you so much Ian Gawler for having empowered me and hundreds of others to conquer cancer. Have attended both your seminars in Adelaide and all I can do is say

Thank you

D R

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NEWS
Ruth and I are back at Mana retreat centre on the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand. Great environment, great facilities, terrific staff and the food is exceptional as well. Such a good place to support a meditation retreat.

Here is the view from the meditation sanctuary!!!

Radical Remission – The 9 key factors that long-term cancer survivors have in common

Obviously, no one wants cancer. But if you, or someone you love did happen to get it, how important would it be to know what is most likely to help you to beat the odds?

This week, 2 crucial books that tell you how – one new, Radical Remission - and we hear directly from its US author, Dr Kelly Turner in a guest blog; the other older, Surviving Cancer, but now easily available again. Both must read books for anyone affected by cancer.

Also, news of the new edition of You Can Conquer Cancer going to all the super powers, but first, the longest ever, but very worthwhile

Thought for the day

How often people speak of art and science as though they were two entirely different things, with no interconnection. 
An artist is emotional, they think, and uses only his intuition; he sees all at once and has no need of reason. A scientist is cold, they think, and uses only his reason; he argues carefully step-by-step, and needs no imagination. 
That is all wrong. 
The true artist is quite rational as well as imaginative and knows what he is doing; if he does not, his art suffers. The true scientist is quite imaginative as well as rational, and sometimes leaps to solutions where reason can follow only slowly; if he does not, his science suffers. 
                               Isaac Asimov

Long term survivors everywhere!
Travelling the country as Ruth and I have been doing these last few weeks, it is both heartening and inspiring to meet so many long-term cancer survivors.

Some recognise us on the street and stop us to say hello and share their stories. Many have come to the various talks we have given.

So many of them. Each one with a story that warrants a book in its own right. Hardly any that have been recorded in medical journals. None that I know of that have been studied for what their story may reveal that could save the lives of others.

All praise then to Dr Kelly Turner from the USA who has researched these stories in depth and written what I consider to be the most important new book in the cancer arena for some time.

Then there is Paul Kraus – one of Australia’s longest known survivors of mesothelioma and another author. Paul interviewed 28 long-term cancer survivors from the Gawler Foundation and tells their stories in the exceptional Surviving Cancer. This book has been hard to get for some time, so it has been added to my webstore, along with Radical Remission.

I have had the good fortune to correspond with Kelly Turner now for some time, and she kindly agreed to write about Radical Remission. Here is Kelly:

Whether you are dealing with cancer directly or have lost loved ones, cancer is a disease that touches everyone – which is why I was shocked ten years ago when I discovered that no one was really studying people who healed themselves from cancer.



Radical Remission – also called ‘spontaneous remission’ by doctors – is any cancer remission that is statistically unexpected.

This includes:

1)    People who heal from cancer without using any Western medicine at all.

2)    People with cancer who first try Western medicine, but it does not work, so they are forced to switch to other methods, which do work.

3)    People who use Western along with complementary and/or alternative medicine at the same time in order to overcome a very serious prognosis.



After researching more than 1,000 cases of these cases over the past decade, I have learned that radical remission survivors such as Ian have 9 key healing factors in common.

These 9 healing factors, which include physical, emotional, and spiritual elements, are described in my book, 'Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds.'

Seven of the nine most common healing factors that emerged from my research were mental/emotional in nature -- which tells me that the mind is so much more powerful than we think.  The radical remission survivors I study very much paid attention to the state of their mind and believed in the power of their mind to heal the body.

This is why they spent so much energy working on releasing suppressed emotions, increasing positive emotions as much as possible, tuning into and listening to their intuition regarding health choices, deepening their spiritual connection to divine energy, focusing on why they wanted to keep living, allowing themselves to ask for and receive love from others, and finally taking an active (as opposed to passive) role in their healing process.

The techniques that they used to achieve these mental/emotional goals differed from person to person -- some people used meditation, others guided imagery, psychotherapy, energy healing, acupuncture, prayer, etc.  However, those were simply techniques used to achieve the mental/emotional goals listed above.

While we may not yet understand all of the mechanisms behind Radical Remissions, the sheer fact that they happen at all tells us that it is possible to turn around even the most advanced cancers - and that it is a fact worth celebrating.

HAVE A STORY TO SHARE?      WANT TO INSPIRE OTHERS?
Kelly Turner has set up a research database where new stories are most welcome: www.RadicalRemission.com.

TO ORDER THE BOOK , CLICK HERE

SURVIVING CANCER – Paul Kraus
Need more inspiration? Want direction from those who have done it? Want to know what is possible?


For many years, while working at the Gawler Foundation, I gathered stories of remarkable recoveries. Paul Kraus, himself Australia's longest mesothelioma survivor, then interviewed 28 of these people and in Surviving Cancer, warm-heartedly recounts their stories.


These stories are unique in the way they relate healing journeys from first diagnosis to ultimate recovery. Yet behind each person's story there are certain common threads. Chief among these is that above and beyond medical treatment each individual received the benefits of self-empowerment by adopting strategies learnt from the wonderful therapeutic team at The Gawler Foundation.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is full of inspiration, hope and direction. In my opinion Surviving Cancer is a must have book for people affected by cancer. Great to read, then keep on hand and dip into whenever the need for a lift is there.

Reading the accounts of recovery in Surviving Cancer provides a recipe for hope and healing.

NEWS
You Can Conquer Cancer goes global – again
What do the super powers have in common? Not so much it seems some days, but at least they are all soon to publish the new edition of You Can Conquer Cancer! 

The old edition went into over a dozen translations, and as the new edition is such a big step forward (it is virtually a new book the re-write was so thorough), I must admit to being very pleased that it has been taken up by China, Russia, the USA and the UK. So far, translations/new editions are also set for Taiwan, Hungary, and Malaysia. Fascinating!

NOTICEBOARD
The road trip/ speaking tour continues to be a delightful mix of meeting wonderful people, travelling this extraordinary land (this week we are in Cooktown - how cool is that!) while speaking in capital cities and some parts we would never normally be able to get to.

Next public event is a day workshop in Cairns, Saturday 16th August

Followed by an evening public lecture in Mt Isa, Tuesday 19th August

Then Meditation in the Desert at the end of the month

With the last events of Le Tour being in Adelaide: evening public lecture Tuesday16th September and day workshop Wednesday 17th September.

Ian Gawler Blog: Portrait of the survivor

What image do you have of a long-term cancer survivor? What have their stories to offer? What can we learn from them about life and about survival?

This week we find out, as well as having the extraordinary opportunity to view amazing portraits taken by world-class photographer Robbie Merritt of long-term survivors. These portraits will form a truly remarkable exhibition You Are Beautiful coming soon in Perth, and to celebrate I have asked the CEO of Cancer Support WA (CSWA), Mandy BeckerKnox to share an insight that came courtesy of one of these survivors.

Each portrait is linked to that persons story - very inspiring and informative - and a fundraising initiative for CSWA, so if you want to support a great organisation, link here to donate.

Also, a small request. I have been asked to help set up a public Facebook page to promote the workshops I will present in Auckland in a few weeks. Apparently it helps to be “Liked”!!! So please go to the new page, (I will now be adding interesting and topical new info there too from time to time) and “Like” me! Link here.

All the New Zealand events for the tour Ruth and I head off for in a couple of weeks are featured on this new Facebook page, so if you do know anyone interested, please share the link with them.






But first


Thought for the Day
People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
But when the darkness sets in,
Their true beauty is revealed
Only if there is a light from within
               Elizabeth Kubler-Ross




Geoff Barbour
Long term survivor of advanced lymphatic cancer
First diagnosed 1997, no medical treatment




How asking yourself a simple question could save your life by Mandy BeckerKnox

A wise friend told me about a very simple method she used for healing herself of secondary melanoma 25 years ago. She was in a difficult predicament, given a few months to live with no medical treatments available to her. Not ready or willing to die, she realised her life was in her own hands.

Willing to do whatever it took to be well again, she asked herself a profound question before eating or drinking anything. She asked the same question of her thought processes, of her relationships, before undergoing any treatment, and in fact before she did anything.

 The question was simply “is this life-giving, or life taking?’ If the answer was life-giving, then she would wholeheartedly embrace that choice. If the answer was life taking, she found the strength and willpower not to follow through on that choice.







Father and daughter team, Ross and Lisa Taylor.









Ross diagnosed with secondary melanoma over 20 years ago.
Lisa also had her partner diagnosed and die of a brain tumour - an extra-ordinary caring role.


There were only two possible answers to this question … there were no maybes, buts, this times or I don’t knows – it was either yes this is life giving, or no this is life taking.

In addition to following through on her life-giving choices, she was willing to explore as many healing modalities as possible, to make sweeping lifestyle changes, to meditate, to develop intuition and to give it a voice.





Mike Sowerby - whom I first met when he was a 3rd year vet student in 1979, just diagnosed with kidney cancer. 

Mike became the first new therapist I worked with in the early '80s, and now he works with the CSWA.

Mike had no medical treatment.











It was her soul’s journey to survive cancer and to become a healer and facilitator herself, inspiring and giving hope to many other people facing the same devastating prognosis.


In case you are wondering who this wise friend is,
it is the wonderful Cathy Brown,
Cancer Support WA’s wellness facilitator.

                    Cathy Brown was diagnosed with metastatic 
                    melanoma 20 years ago. Cathy was one of 
                    our co- facilitators on our recent 
                    Meditation in the Desert retreat.

Cathy and the team of wellness and healing professionals at CSWA understand what it takes to be well and have developed a program and many resources to support people on their healing journey. That team is there to guide you through the program and to help you find the inner resources to be well and to heal.

We wish you all the best and hope to see you soon!

Mandy BeckerKnox
Chief Executive Officer, CSWA


YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL – the exhibition, is Australia's first 100% glass photographic exhibition celebrating the inner beauty, resilience and strength of West Australians touched by cancer.

Organised by Cancer Support WA in partnership with celebrity photographer Robbie Merritt, Panther Graphics and other sponsors, the purpose of You are Beautiful is to bring awareness to the untold stories of people with cancer, and to raise funds for Cancer Support WA.

​The YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL exhibition features large scale portraits of 100 West Australians who have been touched by cancer. Each portrait reveals the story of each person by drawing out their unique beauty and emotion. Each portrait is accompanied by the personal story of each person featured.

The YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL Photographs are being displayed at Central Park Building, 152-158 St Georges Terrace, Perth from 2nd to 8th November, Central Park  and a smaller selection will be displayed from 18th to 29th November at Brookfield Place, 125 St George's Tce, Perth WA. Entry to the exhibitions is free.

RESOURCES
1. Refer to my website where there is more related research and suggestions on how to manage a cancer diagnosis.

2. My book: You Can Conquer Cancer

3. My CDs (also available as downloads)
The Gawler Cancer Program
What to do when someone you love has cancer

RELATED BLOGS
Cancer survivors? Cancer thrivers!!!

Cancer survivors come to Today Tonight

Recovery from cancer is possible

NOTICEBOARD

Ruth and I will be presenting a range of public talks, workshops and retreats around New Zealand
in November/December.

We start with an evening Public Talk in Auckland on Thursday November 14th (which will be followed up by a weekend in Auckland on November 30th and December 1st), then there are a range of other events.

We are delighted to be including our first meditation retreat in New Zealand (which quite a few Aussies have also booked for already!) - December 2 -8.

Please do let anyone you may know in NZ about the visit -  all the details are on my new public Facebook page: Dr Ian Gawler,    or the website.

Ian Gawler Blog: Key medical terms - What is in a name?

When I began one of the world's first cancer self help groups in 1981, what I was doing was often described as "Alternative Medicine". Back in those early days, this seemed fair enough.

What I was teaching was new and it was different to what the mainstream doctors were doing. However, it was not meant to involve a choice as in "do one alternative or the other; do the medical stuff or the self help stuff". It was just different.

But then things began too shift. Somehow, some key people in mainstream medicine decided there was a conflict between what the doctors could do for people with cancer and what those people could do for themselves. Perhaps they were worried people would make the choice to not go with the medical stuff.

Whatever the thinking, instead of seeking to combine the best of what the doctors could do with the best of what the patients could do for themselves, they adopted a combative, exclusive view. They began to strongly express that when it came to recovery from cancer, the only hope lay in what the medical system could do for its patients. The self help options were denigrated.

While this always struck me as a weird and most unfortunate misunderstanding, it sadly led to what some now interpret as a very unhelpful turf war, initiated by those same medical authorities. To be clear about this, I have done all possible to avoid such a conflict. I have maintained constantly since 1981 that in my view the best results for people with cancer will always be achieved by a collaborative approach that combines the best of what is available. However, it is also true that I regard the contribution of the patient, their families and friends as crucial and I have no doubt that frequently this combined contribution has made the difference between life and death.

One way that the self help movement was put down was to brand the word "alternative" as a pejorative. That means "alternative" become a term of medical derision, and all too frequently it is still used as such. The way the word "Alternative" is used these days, it  smacks of quackery and danger.

To attempt to brand people working hard to help themselves as being involved in "quack alternatives" is clearly very unhelpful. In my view it is actually irresponsible as well as being an extremely inaccurate way to describe what I advocate and teach.

In response to all this, more balanced doctors and self help advocates use far more constructive terminology. So we have moved on to "Holistic Medicine", "Complementary Medicine" and "Integrative Medicine". Currently, the best and most accurate way to describe what I advocate and teach - the self help approach - is "Lifestyle Medicine".

However, it seems to me we are now in a position where all of these medical words tend to be bandied about a bit recklessly - in the media, amongst the professions and privately. So this week it seems useful to clarify the definitions. But first

Thought for the day
A joyful heart is good medicine
But a broken spirit dries up the bones
              Proverbs 17:22









1. MEDICAL DEFINITIONS
Currently there are many terms used to describe different ways of offering healing and wellbeing: Conventional Medicine, Traditional Medicine, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Lifestyle Factors and so on. Often these words are used in a loose way that can be confusing.

What follows is an attempt to draw together the best and most widely accepted working definitions for these different modalities. The hope in that this may bring more understanding and help with the words being used more accurately and more clearly.

1. Orthodox or Conventional Medicine and/or therapies1
Orthodox or conventional medicine generally describes medical interventions taught at medical schools, generally provided at hospitals, and meeting the requirement of peer accepted mainstream medicine and standards of care.

2. Evidence Based Medicine2
The conscientious and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The practice of evidence based medicine means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. By individual clinical expertise is meant the proficiency and judgement that individual clinicians acquire through clinical experience and clinical practice.

3. Allopathic Medicine3
The system of medical practice that treats disease by the use of remedies that produce effects different from those produced by the disease under treatment.

The term ‘allopathy’ was coined in 1842 by CFS Hahnemann to designate the usual practice of medicine (allopathy) as opposed to homeopathy, the system of therapy that he founded based on the concept that disease can be treated with drugs (in minute doses) thought capable of producing the same symptoms in healthy people as the disease itself.

4. Integrative Medicine4
The blending of conventional and natural/complementary medicines and/or therapies with the aim of using the most appropriate of either or both modalities to care for the patient as a whole.

Integrative Medicine considers the person’s body, emotions, mind and spirit. Integrative Medicine is open to integrating the services of a wide range of health practitioners and modalities in a way that is often described as Holistic Medicine.

5. Holistic Medicine and/or therapies5
These combine complementary and conventional approaches that support the physical, social, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing to help achieve optimal health. The holistic or health model looks at maximising or supporting all aspects of a person’s health that may lead to the disease being healed by the body. Health promoting and lifestyle advice, such as advice in dietary changes, stress management, exercise, and the environment, are integral to holistic medicine.

6. Lifestyle Medicine6

The application of environmental, behavioural, medical and motivation principles to the
management of lifestyle related health problems in the clinical setting.

7. Lifestyle Factors7
These come under the umbrella of Integrative Medicine and are concerned with what a person can do for themselves in the context of their daily life. Lifestyle factors contrast with complementary therapies which better describe a therapy provided by a therapist, or a compound taken by the patient. (eg. Supplements/herbs)

Lifestyle factors or therapies include physical factors such as nutrition (food/juices), exercise, exposure to sunlight and creative activities.

They also utilize Mind-Body Interventions which can include psychosocial activities, group therapy, mind training (positive thinking, affirmation, imagery etc), meditation, Yoga, Chi Gong, Tai Chi, healthy emotions: (relationships, communication, laughter, forgiveness, etc) personal development and transformation.

Lifestyle factors also encompass spiritual pursuits such as exploring meaning and purpose in life, prayer, spiritual healing, religious practice and spiritual development.

8. Complementary & Alternative Medicine8
In the United States, the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), defines CAM as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine, as defined by our medical peers.

Unlike in America, in Australia, Complementary Medicine and Alternative Medicine tend to be spoken of quite separately.

9. Complementary Medicine9
Any therapeutic practice that does not satisfy the standards of the majority of the orthodox medical community in Australia, that is not taught widely at Australian medical schools and that is not generally available at Australian hospitals.

According to Dr Vicki Kotsirilos10 this definition varies cross culturally with more medical schools – both in Australia and overseas – offering courses in complementary medicine.

Dr Kotsirilos goes on to say that the diversity of these therapies makes them difficult to categorise as a group, yet they are often collectively referred to as ‘complementary’, ‘alternative’, ‘integrative’, ‘unorthodox’, ‘unconventional’, ‘unproven’, ‘natural’, ‘traditional’ and ‘holistic’ medicine, and are contrasted with ‘conventional’, ‘mainstream’, ‘allopathic’, ‘orthodox’, ‘conventional’ and ‘scientific’ medicine.

According to the NCCAM, CAM can be grouped as:

i. Alternative Medical Systems: include naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and homeopathy.

ii. Mind-Body Interventions: include patient support groups, cognitive-behavioural therapy, meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance.

iii. Biologically Based Therapies: include herbs, foods, vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements.

iv. Manipulative and Body-Based methods: include therapeutic massage, shiatsu, chiropractic, and osteopathy.

v. Energy Therapies: include acupuncture, therapeutic touch, reiki, Chi Gong, electromagnetic fields, magnetic fields, kinesiology.

10. Alternative Medicine11
Alternative medicine has two aspects:
i) Proven Alternative Medicine which includes alternative medical systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. These alternative medical systems represent a different paradigm of health care when compared to Conventional Western Medicine.

ii) Unproven Alternative Medicine – sometimes described as Unorthodox or Unconventional or Unproven Medicine and or therapies. This generally describes medical interventions that are not widely taught at medical school, not generally provided at hospitals, and are outside peer accepted mainstream medicine and standards of care. Examples include aromatherapy, intravenous chelation and ozone therapy.

11. Traditional Medicine or therapies12
Well documented or otherwise established medicine or therapies according to the accumulated experience of many traditional health care practitioners over an extended period of time.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) provides a specific definition: ‘traditional use refers to documentary evidence that a substance has been used over three or more generations of recorded use for a specific health related or medicinal purpose’.
Traditional therapies include traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Ayurvedic medicine, western herbal medicine, homeopathic medicine, indigenous medicines, and aromatherapy.

12. Natural Medicine or therapies13
Substances or therapies that work with the natural processes of the body by restoring or correcting organic functions; or modifying organic functions such as modifying those functions in a manner that maintains or promotes health. They generally support the body’s healing mechanisms rather than taking over the body’s processes.
Examples of pharmaceutical medication originally derived from natural medicine include digitalis from the herb foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), and asprin(salicylate) from willowbark (Salix alba), which contains that active ingredient salicin.

COMMENT
Using these definitions, Integrative Medicine can be understood as an umbrella term which includes current Western Orthodox Medicine and Complementary Medicine. Alternative Medicine is posed as a choice to Conventional Western Medicine. This may be a well founded, proven alternative therapy such as whether to use Western Medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat a specific condition (where two quite different approaches are established as having good results) via different and therefore alternative methodologies; or an unproven alternative therapy such as using shark cartilage to treat primary cancer.

2. THE AIM OF TREATMENT 
Curative Treatment14
Aims to render the person clinically free of detectable cancer and to restore the person to their normal life expectancy.

Palliative Treatment15
Palliative care is an umbrella term for assisting those approaching death. It is a fundamental need and right. This term is generally used in the context that death is imminent and inevitable; and the application of palliative care aims to make dying as easy and comfortable as possible.

Palliative treatment is non curative by definition. It aims to extend life, eg. increase survival time, ameliorate symptoms, and increase quality of life.

REFERENCES
1. Medical Benefits Schedule, Item Statistics reports

2. Sackett DLR, Rosenberg WM. Gray JA, Haynes RB, Richardson WS. Evidence based
medicine: what it is and what it isn’t. BMJ 1996;312:71-2.

3. Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary

4. The RACGP-AIMA position paper on Complementary Medicine, available on www.racgp.org.au/advocacy/position-statements

5. Kotsirilos V Complementary Alternative Medicine AFP 2005;34: 1-3

6. Egges G North Ryde:McGraw Hill (2008) Lifestyle Medicine.

7. Gawler I.J. 2009 Presented at RACGP Annual Conference 2006.

8. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 USA. Available at: www.nccam.nih.gov

9. Easthope G Alternative, complementary, or integrative? Complement Ther Med 2003: 11:2-3C
10 Kotsirilos V. – ibid

11.Gawler I.J ibid

12.Therapeutic Goods Administration. Levels and kinds of evidence to support indication and
claims for non-registrable medicines including complementary medicines and other listable
medicines. TGA, October 2001

13.Kotsirilos V. – ibid.

14. Caociato DA. Manual of Clinical Oncology 5th Ed 2004
15.Gawler IJ ibid


Other Useful References:
1. Kotsirilos V. Complementary & Alternative Medicine – Part 2 AFP 2005; 34:689-691

2. Kotsirilos V. GP’s Attitude toward Complementary Medicine AFP 2007: 36: 1-2

3. Complementary Medicines Information Use and Needs of Health Professionals: General
Practitioners and Pharmacists December 2008 – National Prescribing Service Ltd.
4. Model guidelines for the use of complementary and alternative therapies in medical
practice. A Policy Document of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States. Dallas: Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc. 2002.
5. Marc S. Micozzi. Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Churchill Livingstone Inc. 1996.

RESOURCES
1. Refer to my website where there is more related research and suggestions on how to manage a cancer diagnosis.

2. My book: You Can Conquer Cancer

3. My CDs (also available as downloads)
The Gawler Cancer Program
What to do when someone you love has cancer

RELATED BLOGS
The Cancer Council, the survivors and the book

Recovery from cancer is possible

NOTICEBOARD
Ruth and I will be presenting a range of public talks, workshops and retreats around New Zealand in November/December.

We start with an evening Public Talk in Auckland on Thursday November 14th (which will be followed up by a weekend in Auckland on November 30th and December 1st), then there are a range of other events.

We are delighted to be including our first meditation retreat in New Zealand (which quite a few Aussies have also booked for already!) - December 2 -8.

Please do let anyone you may know in NZ about the visit - a link to last week's blog gives all the details - Colour therapy and New Zealand - or go to my new public Facebook page: Dr Ian Gawler, or the website. So much technology!!!