Cancer Recovery Foundation of Canada :: A Non-Profit Resource and Support Organization

A Memorial Tribute to
O. Carl Simonton, M.D., D.A.B.R.
The Father of Psychosocial Oncology

From Greg Anderson, Founder & CEO
Cancer Recovery Foundation International

Dr. O. Carl Simonton, one of the global pioneers in complementary and alternative medicine, and the world’s foremost practitioner in the field of psychological causes and treatment of cancer, died June 18, 2009 at his home in Malibu, California. He was 67 years of age.

Dr. Simonton was the Founder and Director of the Simonton Cancer Center in California, where retreat programs are offered for cancer patients and their loved ones. In recent years, his model has received wide acceptance in Germany, Poland, Japan and Switzerland, where he personally conducted training sessions for patients and healthcare professionals.

After earning his medical degree from the University of Oregon Medical School, he completed a three-year residency in radiation oncology. It was during this time that Dr. Simonton developed a model of emotional support for the treatment of cancer patients, an approach that introduced the concept that one's state of mind could influence their ability to survive cancer.

As chief of Radiation Therapy at Travis Air Force Base, Dr. Simonton implemented this model. This was the first systematic emotional intervention used in the treatment of cancer—a program approved in 1973 by the Office of the Surgeon General. A pilot study he conducted from 1974 to 1981, demonstrated an increase in survival time and improvement in quality of life. His early research established the foundation for two widely acclaimed books which he co-authored, Getting Well Again and The Healing Journey.

A Personal Note to the Cancer Recovery Family
As many of you know, I revered Carl Simonton. His work and especially his personal guidance are the reason I survive today, now 25 years following a 30-day-to-live lung cancer diagnosis. Importantly, the Simonton Method provides both the conceptual and clinical foundation on which we have built our work. His passing deeply saddens me.

Just a month before his death, I was honored to be a presenter along with Dr. Simonton at a conference in Heidelberg, Germany. At that event, I presented him with Cancer Recovery Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Our German affiliate also established a scholarship fund to benefit the Simonton work in that country.

It is my belief that Carl came to realize his ground-breaking theories and years of clinical experience generated a new level of awareness and understanding concerning the mind’s role in healing. I believe this will become his unmatched legacy. We at Cancer Recovery Foundation pledge to do our part make this legacy live on and to become a central tenet and ongoing force in the field of oncology worldwide.