You Can Fight for Your Life: Emotional Factors in the Causation of Cancer

by Lawrence LeShan

Presents evidence gathered from studies conducted over the past twenty-two years that emotional and mental factors play a determining role in the cause, treatment, and control of cancer

Genres: Health

192 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1977

About the author

Also wrote as Edward Grendon.

Reviews

[Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

LeShan argues here that there is a distinct personality type and life history that can be associated with roughly 70% of cancer patients. Said people have a very low self-esteem, which started early on in life, usually exacerbated by parents neglect. They then went on to assume a false-self in hopes of being loved and not being abandoned. They thus feel trapped: if they become who they are, they will be abandoned. If they don't, they don't feel truly connected and loved, since they're not being their authentic self, though they're not always aware of that fact. At some point in life they develop a meaningful connection with something or someone but then for some reason loses that connection. They then despair. Cancer shows up in months or years after the end of said connection. It's no coincidence the incidence of cancer in widows is astounding.

Funnily enough, the only person my age (36) I know to ever have had cancer fits the bill precisely. He was neglected by an absent mother and father from an early age, disliked by teachers for being a daredevil and bullied by friends for being an oddball. Suddenly at 15 joins church and becomes something totally other, very well-behaved and popular with the church youth. There he is loved and accepted with his new fake (not consciously fake) personality. He even finds a girlfriend there which he goes on to date and eventually marry.

I met him several times in our 20's and he always sounded very hollow and uptight, only capable of speaking of trivialities. At one occasion, in a more honest conversation (I tend to provoke those) and speaking of relationships, he confesses he didn't want to get married with his then fiancée, but what's a man to do? Surely not breaking up with his long time (and only) girlfriend. He then went on to get married. On a different occasion I met him again, and speaking of work, he very resentfully said he is not a big shot like his brother and was recently fired from his lame job, but what's a man to do? The economy, the market, etc.

Not many years later I received the news he has cancer.

It could all be a coincidence but good God the similarities with the cases described in this 40-year-old book are just ridiculously eerie to be dismissed.

I wish they had this book in Portuguese to gift it to my friend. I'm still not sure what to do, but I really wanted him to have access to this information, but I have no idea if it's appropriate.

[Ned · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has more than two decades of experience in psychotherapy and the book is a summary of the lessons he learned from his practice. It's a good read for people either suffering from a serious decease or anyone that wants to improve their well-being. Some of the major points: being able to express your emotions, finding meaning, caring less what other think. The book is quick read with lots of examples.