O. Carl Simonton (born 29 June 1942 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, died 18 June 2009 in Agoura Hills) was a specialist in

radiology Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiat ...

and

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

most notable for his unproven cancer treatment methods.

Career

He founded and directed the Simonton Cancer Center (SCC) in Malibu (USA) and was one of the pioneers of psycho-oncology. For over 30 years he worked with

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

patients who wanted to actively support their recovery process. Key elements of his philosophy and techniques affect the practical consulting work in the psycho-oncology in the

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and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Criticism

Simonton was the author of the book ''Getting Well Again'' (1992). He claimed that cancer can be treated by relaxation and visualization techniques and that patients were healed using his methods. However, an investigation into five of his most impressive cases discovered that some of his patients had undergone standard treatment or probably did not have cancer to begin with.Friedlander, Edward R. ''Mental Imagery''. In Stephen Barrett. (1991). ''Dubious Cancer Treatment''. Tampa, Florida: American Cancer Society, Florida Division. pp. 73-78. Medical health experts describe his therapy as dubious. Physician Edward R. Friedlander, who investigated Simonton's techniques in depth, noted that although some patients found his approach helpful, his case histories are "very poor evidence" for the claim that his treatment controls tumours.Friedlander, Edward R. ''Dream Your Cancer Away: The Simontons''. In Douglas Stalker, Clark Glymour. (1985). ''Examining Holistic Medicine''. Prometheus Books. pp. 273-285. Psychologist

Tomasz Witkowski Tomasz Witkowski (; born 1963) is a Polish psychologist, skeptic and science writer. He is known for his unconventional campaigns against pseudoscience. He specializes in debunking pseudoscience, particularly in the fields of psychology, psychothe ...

devoted a whole chapter of his book ''Psychology Led Astray: Cargo Cult in Science and Therapy'' to Simonton and his method and concluded: "A deadly illness and its terminus are extreme situations; too difficult to be judged from the perspective of an outsider. However, when the process is joined by professionals, not only can we, but we should assess what they are doing. The effectiveness of psychotherapy according to the methods of O. Carl Simonton has, for almost forty years, not been verified in accordance with the standards applicable in science and medicine. The majority of trustworthy studies indicates that the descriptions of effectiveness in advertisements for the method are false. The sources invoked by its supporters do not account either for the position of the American Cancer Society, nor other critical studies(…)". The

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

issued a statement entitled ''Unproven Methods of Cancer Management'' that summarized Simonton's methods by: "After careful study of the literature and other information available to it, the American Cancer Society does not have evidence that treatment with O. Carl Simonton's psychotherapy method results in objective benefit in the treatment of cancer in human beings".

Publications

Simonton, O.C. & Simonton S.S., "Belief Systems and Management of the Emotional Aspects of Malignancy, ''The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology'', Vol.7, No.1, (January 1975), pp.29-47.
*''Getting Well Again'' (1992) *''The Healing Journey'' (2002)

External links

Simonton Cancer Center

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simonton, O Carl 1942 births 2009 deaths Physicians from California Alternative cancer treatment advocates American cancer researchers People in alternative medicine