The Journey Through Cancer
A unique seven-level programme for healing body, mind, heart & spirit
by Dr Jeremy Geffen
Published by Vermillion, 2000
Paperback £9.99 ISBN 0-09-185160-2
Reviewed by Sandra Goodman, Ph.D.
This book is an exceptionally
inspirational and spiritually uplifting book, which I recommend to every
person who has ever thought about their purpose and mission in life. I
say this despite some serious differences of opinion I have with regard
to his recommendations about diet, nutrition and herbal medicine.
Dr Jeremy Geffen originally trained as an
oncologist, and while still in medical school, watched his father die,
very quickly (within three and a half months) of metastatic gastric cancer.
Despite all the latest medical technology and high-tech regimes, he watched
his father’s agonizing journey through rounds of cancer treatment,
until he finally grew weaker and no longer wished to fight. Despite his
demise, however, his father became transformed through a spiritual awakening,
a true healing journey, and died, embracing the unknown with courage,
grace and love.
Dr Geffen became a prominent and respected
oncologist and founded the Geffen Cancer and Research Institute (www.geffencenter.com)
in Florida. Along the way he trained in Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine,
yoga, meditation, massage, herbal and nutritional medicine, complementary
approaches which he has built into the programmes at this centre.
The author’s vast experience with treating
cancer patients shines through this book, which is filled with heart-rending
real-life stories of cancer patients, from the man who, deep down, felt
that the real reason he had cancer was that Jesus hadn’t forgiven
him for his sins, to the Holocaust survivor 70-year old lady who was terrified
to die, and finally found comfort in the image that dying from cancer
(with proper pain relief) was like taking off tight shiny new shoes which
were hurting – a relief.
The author describes his seven-level programme
which embraces all aspects of cancer care, from basic cancer treatment
options, the benefits of complementary approaches, the healing power of
love and forgiveness, the power of our thoughts, the hopes, goals and
purposes of our lives and the spiritual aspects.
The author’s strong opinion regarding
the most effective cancer treatments, no doubt based on his experience
as an oncologist, is that conventional surgical, chemotherapy, radiotherapy
and hormonal regimes are the most effective against cancer, and that he
has never witnessed a nutritional, dietary or herbal regime which can
defeat an established aggressive cancer. However, he does support nutritional,
dietary and herbal, as well as other complementary approaches in a comprehensive
cancer programme. He also posits that these complementary approaches have
not been scientifically proven, a view, no doubt also supported from his
professional position.
My fundamental argument against these contentions
is that there are many highly validated scientific published reports of
nutritional cancer approaches; however, as it is illegal in most countries
in the world for physicians to treat cancer using nutrition, or anything
other than conventional approaches, it is impossible to obtain scientific
proof of efficacy in the absence of treatment of cancer patients. Dr Geffen
may in fact be correct, but I would prefer if he could defer his pronouncement
until after, not prior to the final results of scientific research.
Another strong opinion, which I wholeheartedly
support, is that cancer patients get bogged down in the minutiae of their
cancer treatments – diets, herbs, drugs, etc – that they never
have the time to talk to their families and loved ones and consider some
of the most important questions of their lives: What is the meaning and
purpose of your life? What are your most important goals for the next
year? and How do you want to be remembered after you are gone? The author
eloquently makes the case that it is terribly important to really understand
our understanding of these ultimate questions, to totally connect to our
true feelings about our cancer treatment, our relationship with our families
and loved ones. “By recognizing your real identity as the ocean rather
than the wave – regardless of how healthy, diseased, powerful, or
powerless the wave may appear – you can find freedom not only from
cancer, but even from birth and death. That is the ultimate message of
this book.”
A truly exceptional book, there is also
an excellent and extremely comprehensive Reference section (>40 pages)
with hundreds of scientific papers, books and organizations covering every
aspect of cancer, complementary therapy and healing. Certainly a must
for every cancer patient.