With the incidence of cancer increasing every year, many patients are seeking alternative therapies to assist them in treating this life altering disease. Partnering with conventional oncology treatments, alternative treatments provide an opportunity to synergize chemotherapy and encourage the body’s own healing mechanisms to protect healthy cells, kill cancer cells and create a hostile environment for cancer regrowth.
Integrative cancer modalities at Restore are intended to be used as adjunctive therapy to oncology treatment recommendations. Our goal is to mitigate the toxicity of chemotherapy and radiation as well as to prevent immunosuppression and toxicities from standard chemotherapy. The prescribing of repurposed medications for the treatment of cancer has been well studied and the peer reviewed evidence supports that these compounds kill cancer cells and inhibits cancer stem cells, making the tumor environment hostile to growth. These medications have also been proven to be safe and effective through data collected in case reports and observational studies. (FLCCC Alliance 10/2024)
Repurposed medications that can be utilized in cancer care include Ivermectin, Albendazole, Pantoprazole, Statins, Propranolol, Metformin and several others. These medications use various mechanisms that can inhibit cancer growth and induce cancer cell death. These repurposed medications are customized based on the type of cancer and the type of patient being treated. They are partnered with a tailored supplement regimen that may include some of the following: melatonin, vitamin D, green tea extract, berberine, Omega 3 fatty acids and ashwagandha. Many of these supplements have been well studied and found to have substantial impact in the killing of cancer cells and the protection of healthy ones.
High dose Vitamin C IV therapy is an additional therapy that is used in integrative cancer treatment. A growing number of studies are proving that high-dose vitamin C may benefit cancer patients. Importantly, these studies provide a clear rationale and potential biomarkers that will help personalize this therapeutic approach and identify patient populations that are likely to respond to high-dose vitamin C therapy. Since the mechanisms of action of vitamin C have become better defined, vitamin C combinations should be utilized in cancer treatment in an effort to improve response to chemotherapy. Given the current high financial cost of new cancer drugs, it seems rational to improve the effectiveness of current therapies by studying their clinical interactions with vitamin C. The implementation of this treatment modality will provide benefit to many cancer patients.
In addition to treating cancer, the post cancer patient who is cured or in remission, integrative modalities and lifestyle modifications should be implemented in an effort to create a hostile environment for cancer to return. Since cancer is mainly a metabolic disease, ensuring metabolic flexibility is a crucial component to post cancer management. Many times cancer patients are discharged from their oncologist with no recommendations or plan for the prevention of disease recurrence. Alternative therapies provide some control over the likelihood of recurrence when coupled with lifestyle modifications customized to the cancer patient by an experienced functional medicine provider. Some of these therapies and modifications include, ketogenic or low glycemic diets, daily exercise, reducing stressors, ensuring adequate rest and daily sun exposure. These treatment modalities coupled with a caring, supportive environment can help patients heal, restore and live a healthy life!
Cancer prevention and screening should be a mainstay of any functional medicine practice. Cancer prevention begins with lifestyle modifications with a focus on sustaining metabolic flexibility by improving insulin sensitivity. In general, this can be accomplished by maintaining an organic, whole food diet, low in sugar, carbohydrates and alcohol. Daily exercise including cardiovascular exercise and strength training is also foundational for ensuring metabolic flexibility. Hormone optimization and thyroid management should be evaluated and managed by an experienced provider in an effort to support healthy metabolism.
Cancer screening should be reviewed and planned with an experienced functional medicine provider. Traditional screenings including breast, prostate, cervical and colon are helpful in identifying cancers in a conventional settings but they don’t go far enough to detect most cancers early enough to ensure successful treatment outcomes. Liquid biopsy cancer screening should be encouraged for patients over the age of 50 every year. This simple blood test created by Grail, are advantageous in it’s ability to identify 50 types of cancers in their earliest stages. Liquid biopsy cancer screening by Galleri is a game changing tool in the practice of cancer prevention, identification and early treatment.
