Book Review: The Cancer Conqueror, by Greg Anderson

This is the first book to hand to someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer. Recognizing that “attitude is everything”, Greg Anderson has presented a positive approach to cancer. Where there is life, there is hope, and Anderson helps the cancer patient see that the brutally frank medical diagnosis of “thirty days to live” (whatever the time period) must not be allowed to become a death sentence or a self-fulfilling prophecy. He helps the reader see that the time period he has been given is a statistical expectation, not a certainty. For every statistic, there are exceptions, and they generally favor the person with a positive attitude. The closing paragraph of the introduction sums up the concept: “Apply the principles you find in The Cancer Conqueror. What you believe about getting well, how you handle emotional conflicts, plus the decision to choose joyful living do make a huge difference. Keep your hope alive. You can conquer cancer and perhaps even cure it.”

Section 1, The Search for Solutions, is intended to help the reader get past the “why me?” stage. It is vital to seek input from someone who has faced a similar challenge and has overcome it.

Section 2, The Perspective of Personal Responsibility, helps one recognize the importance of attitude: “I am in charge of my cancer. My cancer is not in charge of me.” (and more)

Section 3, The Cancer Conqueror Believes, gets to the heart of the matter. Many of us grew up believing that cancer means death, treatment has no value, and the victim is helpless. Anderson helps the reader understand that we can choose our beliefs – though I may have cancer, I am not cancer and I am not a victim of cancer. Cancer is a message to change.

Section 4, The Cancer Conqueror Resolves, teaches that we can change our perceptions of ourselves and our problems. Since hopelessness is a choice, why not choose hope? Cancer comes and goes – it is a reversible disease. Once I recognize that emotionally disruptive events and emotional needs may be factors in the development of cancer, I may be able to choose healthy options that will reduce my support for the cancer. Cancer going into remission is not an accident, but the result of my becoming a new person.

Section 5, The Cancer Conqueror Lives, teaches the power of nonjudgmental, unconditional love to heal. Accepting others as they are removes the great barrier to wholeness and wellness that is formed from our judgments of others. They are not required to change for me to love them, but I may need to change to be able to love them unconditionally. The true goal is not just to cure cancer, but to have peace of mind that is not related to our physical condition. “To LIVE means to move our lives toward our own unique experience of love, joy, and peace.”

Section 6, The Cancer Conqueror Explains, deals with the possibility of recurrence. There are many influences in life that may distract us from the path to wellness., but recurrence does not mean imminent death. I still can influence my destiny; I can choose to live fully as long as I live. I can have peace no matter what.

Section 7, The Cancer Conqueror Benefits, explained to me what happened in my life following my own cancer in 1996. Although my cancer was removed by surgery, I knew that there had to be a better way than what I endured. From 1996 until now, I have been searching for and sharing with others the better way as I find it. I can not promise that all cancer will be eliminated, but I can say with confidence that if you do all that you can find to do to enhance your wellness of body, soul, and spirit, the effect of any cancer will be the least possible. You are in charge of your own wellness, and this little (155 page) book is one of the tools you can use to preserve and protect your wellness.