O. Carl Simonton | Oncologist, author, 66
O. Carl Simonton, 66, a radiation oncologist who advocated treating the emotional and psychological needs of cancer patients, choked to death during a meal on June 18 at his home in Agoura Hills, Calif., said his wife, Karen.
Dr. Simonton pushed for treating patients through meditation and similar techniques such as guided imaging therapy.
He founded the Cancer Counseling and Research Center in Fort Worth, Texas, in the early 1970s. In 1978, he cowrote the book Getting Well Again.
"We all participate in our own health through our beliefs, our feelings, and our attitudes toward life," he wrote. "In addition, our response to medical treatment is influenced by our beliefs about the effectiveness of the treatment."
In 1984, he moved his practice to California, where he founded the Simonton Cancer Counseling Center, currently in Malibu.
In 1992, Dr. Simonton and former patient Brenda Hampton wrote a follow-up to Getting Well Again called The Healing Journey.
- AP
