Radical Remission by Kelly Turner - Book Review

The quote above succinctly summarises the central premise behind Radical Remission - learn from success. It is the central tenet behind Appreciative Inquiry and all positive psychology approaches. 

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I was alerted to this important book when the inspirational Pam Popper recommended it in her video: Spontaneous Cancer Remissions. When Pam Popper recommends a book or a journal article, I tend to read it. I was not disappointed.

One of the most important decisions any cancer sufferer and their loved ones can take is to empower themselves with the information they need to make wise choices following the dreaded diagnosis. Kelly Turner's book provides much of the necessary information.

The book’s emphasis is on those diagnosed with terminal cancer. However, all of the factors identified have been shown to promote health in general and cancer specifically whether you are trying to prevent the disease, treat it or prevent a recurrence, whether or not you are using western medicine.   

Turner surveyed over 1,000 people who have massively outlived a terminal cancer diagnosis and identified nine “key factors that can unlock your pathway to dramatic healing.” 

​key factors that can unlock your pathway to dramatic healing

1. Radically changing your diet – including greatly reducing or eliminating sugar, meat, dairy and refined foods.
2. Taking control of your health – the word patient comes from the Latin pati which means to suffer, submit, or allow. Those in radical remission do not make ‘good patients’. Instead, they are willing ask questions and question answers
3. Following your intuition – the role of intuition has been marginalised in the west. But those in radical remission believed that they could access their capacity to heal by going within, cultivating stillness and listening to their inner voice. 
4. Using herbs and supplements – these can be used alongside conventional interventions to strengthen the immune system and to detoxify the body.
5. Releasing suppressed emotions – this tallies with eastern beliefs that illness is the manifestation of physical, emotional or spiritual blockage and health is achieved by restoring flow in these dimensions.
6. Increasing positive emotions – happiness builds upon the release of suppressed emotions to flood the body with cancer-fighting cells and molecules.
7. Embracing social support – love and connection with family, friends and even pets can be literally life saving.
8. Deepening your spiritual connection – this connection with something greater than oneself, which can be independent of a belief in god, helps to tap into what many refer to as ‘universal love.’
9. Having strong reasons for living – a reason to live trumps a fear of death.

As a ‘recovering materialist’ I was surprised that only two of the nine factors were physical and the rest were emotional or spiritual.

Each chapters unpacks a key factor and the common actions taken by those who had defied their diagnosis with a complete reversal of the disease and illustrates them with a case study. This format helps the book’s logical flow this should not obscure the fact that the power of radical remission resides in behavioural patterns that address all nine factors as an integrated whole. 

Kelly Turner is continuing her work which is detailed on the Radical Remission Project Website which collates stories and experiences of those who have survived cancer against the odds. The information is not a substitute for a treatment plan but it might just provide a ray of hope to light up an otherwise dark situation.