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Ian Gawler | |
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| Born | 25 February 1950 |
| Education | Melbourne Grammar School |
| Occupation(s) | Author, therapist, former vet |
Ian James Gawler OAM (born 25 February 1950) is an Australian author and a prominent advocate for the therapeutic application of mind-body medicine and meditation.
Gawler was born in 1950 to Alan Gawler, an engineer, and Billie Gawler (née Gray) in Melbourne, Australia. After graduation from the University of Melbourne, he worked as a vet in a mixed practice at Bacchus Marsh and Melton, Victoria in 1973 with a special interest in horses and surgery.
In 1974 Gawler was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Resultant surgery involved amputation through the hip. Late in 1975, it was diagnosed that the bone cancer had metastasised and spread to lymph nodes inside his pelvis and mediastinum before spreading more widely on the surface of his sternum and through his left lung.[ citation needed ]
In December 1975, with the assistance of Australian psychiatrist Ainslie Meares, who believed that meditation could alter the course of, or even cure cancer, Gawler adopted a regime of intensive meditation. He also followed a Gerson diet and pursued a program of research, introspection and personal development. In February 1976 his doctors gave him only a few weeks to live. [1]
In February 1976, Gawler had some palliative radiotherapy; in October 1976 he underwent three cycles of experimental chemotherapy. In 1977 he also had an audience with Sai Baba. [2] He was declared clear of cancer in 1978. At the same time he was diagnosed with TB, which responded rapidly to conventional treatment and supported by lifestyle-based self-help techniques. Gawler's recovery from cancer was documented by Meares [3] and, 30 years later, the fact that he was still alive was also documented. [4]
In the December 2011, Internal Medicine Journal, the online journal of the Royal Australian College of Physicians, two oncologists, Ian Haines from Cabrini Hospital and Ray Lowenthal from Hobart, published a report that no biopsy of Gawler for secondary cancer had been made and suggested that all of his symptoms were consistent with tuberculosis. [5] In response to this report, Gawler maintained that the diagnosis was confirmed by his eminent team of physicians of the day, and said that they still stand by that diagnosis. [6] He said that Haines and Lowenthal did not consult with any of these people in preparing their speculative hypothesis and, therefore, did not take account of his clinical history or the many diagnostic tests performed and deemed to be adequate by those physicians to confirm the diagnosis. [6] Gawler's original physicians maintain that the TB developed as a complication of Gawler's primary cancer, osteogenic sarcoma, probably after chemotherapy weakened his immune system. [6]
Steve Novella has written that it cannot be certain whether Gawler ever had metastatic cancer, and that his promotion of the supposed ability of the mind to "cure" cancer exemplifies the fallacy of using anecdotes in medicine. Such notions are, Novella writes, "pure wish-fulfilment fantasy". [7]
After recovering, Gawler resumed work as a vet for short periods in Geelong and the Gold Coast before moving to Morphett Vale near Adelaide, South Australia, in 1978. In 1980 he then moved to a new practice at Yarra Junction, Victoria. [2]
In 1981, Gawler co-founded the Melbourne Cancer Support Group.[ citation needed ] Oncologist Ray Lowenthal, who has long been a critic of Gawler's work [2] engaged in an hour-long debate on ABC-TV show Couchman.[ when? ] Lowenthal challenged Gawler to produce 50 of his best cancer recovery cases for review. Gawler agreed on air and welcomed "the opportunity for some serious research". [2] The review has not happened, despite the fact that the 50 cases were made available by the Gawler Foundation at the time.[ citation needed ] Lowenthal was reportedly unable to receive funding for the study. [2]
Gawler was awarded an OAM for his contributions to the community in the 1987 Australia Day Honours. [8]
In 1997, Gawler separated from his first wife, Grace Gawler. They divorced in 1999. In 2010, in response to an article in the Medical Journal of Australia about Gawler's cancer recovery, Grace Gawler disputed some of the facts and timeline regarding his recovery. [9] [5]
Gawler married Ruth Gawler (née Berlin), a medical doctor, in 2000. They have worked together since 2001. [10]
The story of Gawler's life, Ian Gawler: The Dragon's Blessing, by Guy Allenby, was first published in 2008. The second edition was published in 2010.
A sarcoma is a malignant tumor, a type of cancer that arises from cells of mesenchymal origin. Connective tissue is a broad term that includes bone, cartilage, fat, vascular, or other structural tissues, and sarcomas can arise in any of these types of tissues. As a result, there are many subtypes of sarcoma, which are classified based on the specific tissue and type of cell from which the tumor originates. Sarcomas are primary connective tissue tumors, meaning that they arise in connective tissues. This is in contrast to secondary connective tissue tumors, which occur when a cancer from elsewhere in the body spreads to the connective tissue. Sarcomas are one of five different types of cancer, classified by the cell type from which they originate. The word sarcoma is derived from the Greek σάρκωμα sarkōma 'fleshy excrescence or substance', itself from σάρξsarx meaning 'flesh'.
A bone tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in bone, traditionally classified as noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Cancerous bone tumors usually originate from a cancer in another part of the body such as from lung, breast, thyroid, kidney and prostate. There may be a lump, pain, or neurological signs from pressure. A bone tumor might present with a pathologic fracture. Other symptoms may include fatigue, fever, weight loss, anemia and nausea. Sometimes there are no symptoms and the tumour is found when investigating another problem.
An osteosarcoma (OS) or osteogenic sarcoma (OGS) is a cancerous tumor in a bone. Specifically, it is an aggressive malignant neoplasm that arises from primitive transformed cells of mesenchymal origin and that exhibits osteoblastic differentiation and produces malignant osteoid.
James Stephen Ewing was an American pathologist. He was the first Professor of pathology at Cornell University and discovered a form of bone cancer that was later named after him, Ewing sarcoma.
Chondrosarcoma is a bone sarcoma, a primary cancer composed of cells derived from transformed cells that produce cartilage. A chondrosarcoma is a member of a category of tumors of bone and soft tissue known as sarcomas. About 30% of bone sarcomas are chondrosarcomas. It is resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Unlike other primary bone sarcomas that mainly affect children and adolescents, a chondrosarcoma can present at any age. It more often affects the axial skeleton than the appendicular skeleton.
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Ewing sarcoma is a type of pediatric cancer that forms in bone or soft tissue. Symptoms may include swelling and pain at the site of the tumor, fever, and a bone fracture. The most common areas where it begins are the legs, pelvis, and chest wall. In about 25% of cases, the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body at the time of diagnosis. Complications may include a pleural effusion or paraplegia.
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In recognition of service to the community as Founder/Director, Australian Cancer Patients' Foundation Inc
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