ABSTRACT
Although Reich began with an extensive classical training in natural science, medicine, and psychiatry, his research was to carry him into hith erto unknown territory. As a pioneer, he had to fashion his own guiding theoretical concepts and terminology. For us to understand and evaluate what he says about cancer, it is essential that we see it clearly within the context of his life’s work. Indeed, Reich’s remarkable conclusion that the cancer disease is linked causally to a disturbance of sexual functioning came after almost twenty years of work in the biological investigation of sexuality. To the reader unacquainted with new and revolutionary con cepts, such a conclusion would seem incomprehensible and preposterous. It is therefore imperative that we orient ourselves as to the substance and direction of Reich’s thinking leading up to his involvement in the cancer problem. We shall restrict ourselves, however, to work which directly im pinges on this problem. Our review is in no way comprehensive.
