Cancer

There are many theories as to the cause of cancer, all of which I think have the potential to play a certain role in one or many types of cancer, but I do not believe there is just one thing that causes all cancers. Although there is not one accepted number as to the percentage of cancers that are genetic, it is generally accepted that a good estimate is 5%-10% of all cancers are genetic in cause. When I see/hear of cancer in young children, it is usually a genetic driven cancer. In most adults cases, cancer is environmentally driven and the estimates are that what we eat contributes to 30% – 35% risk of cancer, smoking 25%-30, infections 15%-20%, obesity 10%-20%, alcohol 4%-6%, miscellaneous 10%-15% (like electromagnetic fields, chlorinated water, pharmaceutical use…).

Naturopathic Approach to Cancer

A naturopathic approach to treating someone with cancer of course depends on the type of cancer, what we thing may have contributed to your cancer and what conventional treatment you will/have chosen to do. I let the oncologist treat your cancer, and I help you protect your health cells and boost your own body’s ability to keep the cancer in check. I request a battery of tests that will help track key biomarkers we see associated with health changes. Although consider fairy new research, there are now plenty of studies showing the efficacy of natural treatment along with conventional treatment of cancer for better outcomes. In fact in 2014 the largest-ever North American grant of 3.85 million dollars to research the effectiveness of naturopathic medicine in conjunction with conventional medicine was rewarded to researchers in Ottawa, Canada. Some key things on my list I run through with each case is: the need for EPA DHA, are there signs of inflammation, are there signs of low ATP production and mitochondrial damage, are there signs of parasites or other infections, I research top tissues and organs your type of cancer may metastasize to and we keep those cells as healthy as possible, I test for anemia and treat accordingly, I test for specific genetic SNP’s that may be associated with your type of cancer and use clinical nutrition to change the expression of those genes, your immune system is strongly supported with herbal, mushroom and specific vitamins and mineral combinations, anti-oxidants are often recommended, proteolytic enzymes may be recommended, a no/low sugar, alkalizing, ketogenic meal plan is co-created with you and the lifestyle educator is always recommended and is considered the first line of defense against “feeding” the cancer.