TEXT E Many cancer patients are
finding now hope in an unusual and controversial approach to cancer treatment.
The new method has been developed by Carl Simonton, M. D. , a specialist in the
science of tumours. He says the results can sometimes be "truly amazing", when a
cancer patient lets his mind take part in the treatment.
Simonton recalls that his first patient might have been thought to be a
"hopeless" case by some people. "He was a sixty-one-year-old man with very
severe throat cancer. He had lost a great deal of weight. He could barely
swallow his own saliva and could eat no food." "I taught him to
relax and mentally see his disease," Simonton states. "Then I had him picture an
army of white blood ceils coming attacking and overcoming the cancer cells. The
results of the treatment were both thrilling and frightening. Within two weeks
his cancer had noticeably decreased and he was quickly gaining weight. I say it
was frightening because I had never seen such a turnaround. I wasn’t sure what
was going on. I also didn’t know what I would do if things went sour. But they
didn’t go sour." "We may believe that we have the power in our
own bodies to overcome cancer. But then we have to admit that we also have the
power to bring on the disease in the first place. With those patients who are
willing to stay with us and try, we always find that the cancer has filled some
emotional need." Dr. Simonton urges patients to have positive
self-views. Those who wish to change their beliefs and improve their self-image
are given a cassette tape to play three times a day. The recorded voice of Dr.
Simonton speaks calmly: "Take a deep breath. Blow it out. As you blow it out,
say to yourself, Relax. Now, I want you to mentally see your disease. Picture
the way it seems to you. It may look like a piece of hamburger with strands
going out into other areas. However, it seems to you perfectly fine. Force
yourself to draw this mental picture." "Now, if you’re receiving
radiation therapy, I want you to picture your treatment. See the treatment as a
beam of millions of tiny bullets of energy coming down. They hit all the cells
in the area. The normal cells have a great ability to repair the little bit of
damage the radiation does. But the cancer cells are much less able to repair
this damage, so they die. This is the whole purpose of the treatment. Picture
this happening. Picture the cancer shrinking. " The taped voice
continues: "If you’re receiving pills by mouth, see yourself take those pills.
See them melt in your stomach. Then see them going into the bloodstream. See
them flow around to where the cancer is. They are poison to the cancer cells and
they die. See the cancer shrink. Now the white blood cells come in and pick up
the dead and dying cancer cells. " Dr. Simonton says he has no
"new" discoveries. He claims he is following in the footsteps of others.
He quotes Eugene Pendergrass, M, D. , past president of the American Cancer
Society. Sixteen years ago Pendergrass said, "There is strong evidence that the
disease is affected by emotional stress. It is my deep hope that we can widen
the search. We must include the possibility that within our minds is a power. It
can send out strong forces. These forces can either hasten or stop the progress
of this disease." Which of the following is NOT mentioned as part of the new approach to cancer treatment
A.Having a positive sell-view. B.Trying to feel happy. C.Attempting to relax oneself. D.Forming a picture of the treatment.