Early Cancer Detection Through Handwriting Analysis

 diagnosis of cancer through handwriting analysis is
"Handwriting is brain-writing." Graphologists explainthe case of Mrs. B. By medical standards, Mrs. B.
that the brain is the director of our physical aswas found to be healthy from the date of her
well as our mental activity. Just as our writingfirst handwriting sample to the date of the third.
reflects our personality, so does it reflect certainOne year after the date of her third sample, at
aberrations in our physiology.the age of 41, an advanced cancer was found,
It is widely accepted in medicine that with theand she died at 42.
development of cancer, certain neuromuscularThe following samples are microphotographs of
disturbances of coordination take place. SinceMrs. B's handwriting.
handwriting constitutes the tracing ofThe first one (Figure 5) was written at age
neuromuscular coordination, the microscopictwenty-eight, the second (Figure 6) at age
characteristics of handwriting strokes become anthirty-three, and the third (Figure 7) at age forty.
important method for examining humanThe first sample, Figure 5, shows the typical
neuromuscular development.criteria of normality-that is, a mature
Alfred Kanfer, born in Austria and later imprisonedneuromuscular condition with a normal range of
in Dachau concentration camp along with his wife,coordination. Normality is manifested in the
is considered the pioneer of the graphologicalsmooth, continuous flow of movement, both in
neuromuscular test for determination of groups atthe descending and ascending strokes (uniform
high risk for cancer. He had an impressiveflow of ink throughout the strokes and sharp,
84-percent accuracy rate in detecting the diseasecontinuous delineations to both sides of each
through handwriting.stroke). The strokes have an oval shape; the
What the Kanfer test does is to apply aturns from descending to ascending strokes are
neuromuscular tool to determine the presence ornarrow, curved, and show continuity of
absence of such characteristic neuromuscularmovement throughout.
disorders. The Kanfer test alone does notA regular pattern of heavier (wider and darker)
determine the presence or absence of cancer; itdescending strokes and lighter ascending strokes
determines a factor associated with cancer.prevails throughout the sample.
Alfred Kanfer was released from Dachau; heThe second sample, Figure 6, shows a marked
emigrated to the United States. He was anchange. Although the overall pattern of heavier
outsider in the field of medicine-with a method fordescending strokes and lighter ascending strokes
identifying cancer-prone individuals that was sois still preserved, the narrow turns have
highly unorthodox, that he had a stiff uphill battledisappeared, the writing spreads out widely, the
to prove his method and find acceptance for it.strokes are much weaker and highly unstable, and
What is surprising is the cooperation he received,in most of the ascending strokes, clear
throughout his more then thirty-five years ofsegmentations can be seen.
work, from many prominent doctors and(Segmentation means that continuity of
hospitals.movement is interrupted, and the direction of the
The Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York, thestroke is seen on microscopic examination to be
Preventive Medicine Institute-Strang Clinic in Newwavering.) Clear interruptions between descending
York, the Equitable Life Assurance Society, theand ascending strokes are also visible.
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and theThe third sample, Figure 7, shows a breakdown
American Cancer Society provided financial andof every phase of the writing process.
material support for Kanfer's work. Their patients'The strokes are stiff or formless. The pressure is
handwritings were submitted to him for analysis.uneven, sometimes too heavy, and in other
The "Heart Tick"strokes too light. There are clear interruptions
Graphologists have determined that certain breaksbetween descending and ascending strokes, and
in writing, slight interruptions in the upstroke and inboth types of strokes show marked,
the downstroke, especially in letters with loops,low-amplitude, high-frequency segmentations.
can point to heart disease. They call this break a"With these (and many such) findings it was for
"heart tick" and find it particularly in thethe first time shown with statistical significance
lower-case hthat the manifestations of cancer in handwriting
(see arrow, Figure 1).precede the manifestations of cancer by clinical
Another sign is abnormal dotting in the course ofsigns." (Bulletin of the Hospital for Joint Diseases,
the writing "trail" (see Figure 2).April 1, 1958)
In the act of writing, a person with heartSetbacks
trouble-which is often accompanied by shortnessAlthough Kanfer's handwriting test was
of breath-instinctively rests the pen on the paper,remarkable, he did make some blunders along the
as one would do with a stick when walking.way, which had to be corrected. While he was
Dr. Ulrich Sonnemann, a major contributor to theable to clearly separate the healthy handwritings
early development of professional graphology infrom the ones indicating cancer or heart disease,
the U.S. whose book Handwriting Analysis as ahe erred by diagnosing a considerable number of
Psychodiagnostic Tool (Grune & Stratton, 1950) isthe heart cases as positive for cancer. In later
highly respected in the field, confirms that astudies, with sharpening of the cancer criteria, this
disrupted pattern of strokes can be indicative ofcause of error was practically eliminated.
cardiac disease. Sonnemann adds that the specificA second error involved inappropriate use of
frailties and incomplete ataxias (the inability tomaterials and turned up when three tests were
coordinate voluntary muscular movements), whichconducted under the auspices of the American
are marked by partial dotting of the course ofCancer Society. The first and third test ranged
strokes, have been discovered at very early andbetween 84 and 98.4 percent in the accuracy of
clinically undetected stages.detection of cancer.
Variations of Normal HandwritingThe second study was the only one that failed. It
The foremost tenet in graphology is analyzing thewas carried out on samples gathered at a Detroit
difference between a person's handwriting andcancer detection center. The reason for this
how he was taught to write. There are manyfailure, as later established, was faulty technical
shades of instructional technique in script, all ofarrangements. The patients were made to write
which would be classified under "variations ofwith a hard glass plate as a writing support and
normal handwriting." When the writing differs tohad to use a rigid, fine-point pen, a combination
the extent that it certainly was not taught to thethat made the finer segmentations in the stroke
writer this way, that difference is analyzed. Thepractically invisible, even to the microscopic
"normal" writing sample is provided as a basis forequipment then available.
comparison.When this error was recognized, some changes
1. Marked difference between downstroke andwere made in the microscopic technique and
upstroke pressure in regular sequence throughoutsome of the samples were re-examined. Kanfer's
a given writing sample.results were then considered "very good" by the
Characteristics: Downsrokes are broader andCancer Society. Nevertheless, this failure set his
show greater ink density than upstrokes.work back many years and demonstrated the
(1 and 2 in Figure 3).importance of technical considerations in research.
All downstrokes in a given writing have about theUnresolved Questions
same width, and so do all upstrokes.Many questions remain unresolved. What about
2. Elasticity of strokes.the problem of a handwriting that "tests positive"
The width of downstrokes gradually increaseswhen there is no medical diagnosis? What effects
toward the baseline, where they connect with thedoes that information have? What psychological
upstrokes, and at the same time the upstrokesharm can it do when there is no detectable
thin out slightly along their course.cancer to treat?
3. Uninterrupted flow of movement throughThis problem affected Kanfer himself. He went to
downstrokes and upstrokes.the Strang Clinic doctors to tell them that he saw
Characteristics: Uniform, even density of inkpositive indicators of cancer in his own handwriting.
throughout the length of downstrokes andThey couldn't find the cancer until three weeks
upstrokes (1 and 2). Continuous, uninterrupted andbefore he died.
unwavering delineations of downstrokes andAlthough graphology's strength lies primarily in
upstrokes (1 and 2).personality evaluation, in which it achieves up to
4. Uninterrupted flow of movement through area98 percent accuracy, the statistical significance
of transition (3 in Figure 3).attributed to the Kanfer test remains great. The
Characteristics are as above.need for more research is vital.
Of specific importance is the uninterrupted joiningAuthor's note: Please do not try to diagnose
of downstrokes and upstrokes, which requires ayourself or others using this technique. It takes a
maximum degree of neuromuscular coordinationprofessional to recognize the nuances of change in
and is therefore of the highest significance.a handwriting sample.
Finding Cancer in Its Early StagesIf you would like to view the images to this
A startling example of the accuracy of thearticle, please send a blank email to .